trout

noun

ˈtrau̇t 

plural trout also trouts

1

: any of various salmonid food and sport fishes that are mostly smaller than the typical salmons and are anadromous or restricted to cool clear fresh water:

a

: any of various Old or New World fishes (genera Salmo, Salvelinus, and Oncorhynchus) compare brown trout, rainbow trout

b

: char entry 1

2

: any of various fishes (such as the largemouth bass) held to resemble the true trouts

Examples of trout in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For nature lovers, winter provides the chance to glimpse majestic eagles soaring over the lakes from Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District's heated eagle-viewing facility—plus, Lake Ogallala will be prime for ice fishing, especially for trout. —Angela Lian, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2025

Catch at least one trout, bass, catfish, sunfish and crappie during 2025. —Arkansas Online, 12 Aug. 2025

But barriers that block lampreys from swimming upstream to spawn might also block steelhead trout, walleye and salmon. —Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Expect tempura squash blossoms, slow-roasted ocean trout, Snake River Farms wagyu zabuton, and chocolate peanut butter crunch cake. —Kaila Yu, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English trūht, from Late Latin trocta, tructa, a fish with sharp teeth, from Greek trōktēs, literally, gnawer, from trōgein to gnaw — more at troglodyte

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing trout

• brook trout
• brown trout
• cutthroat trout
• Dolly Varden trout
• golden trout
• lake trout
• mackinaw trout
• rainbow trout
• sea trout
• speckled trout
• spotted sea trout
• trout lily
• trout-perch

Rhymes for trout

• bout
• clout
• doubt
• drought
• flout
• gout
• grout
• kraut
• lout
• out
• pout
• rout

Kids Definition

trout

noun

ˈtrau̇t 

plural trout also trouts

1

: any of various edible fishes that are mostly smaller than the related salmons, are restricted to cool clear fresh water or spend time at sea before returning to fresh water to breed, and are often speckled with dark colors

2

: any of various fishes that resemble the true trouts