steelhead

noun

steel·​head ˈstēl-ˌhed How to pronounce steelhead (audio)
plural steelhead also steelheads
: an anadromous rainbow trout

called also steelhead trout

Examples of steelhead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Panayiotou eventually landed the wild steelhead, measured it with a flexible tape at a whopping 41 inches, and returned it to the river. Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 3 Jan. 2024 For example, in Santa Barbara County, dozens of endangered steelhead trout were killed in Maria Ygnacio Creek during the 2009 Jesusita fire. Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2023 Annual returns of salmon and steelhead that were once counted in the tens of millions have dwindled to just a tiny fraction of that. oregonlive, 27 Aug. 2023 There are both spring and fall seasons for steelhead in Idaho. Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 Spawning steelhead must travel more than 400 miles, from the mouth of Columbia River, to reach the Lowe Granite where IDFG does its monitoring. Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 3 Jan. 2024 Chinook, coho, steelhead, sturgeon and lamprey swam so thick that the ancestors of the Indigenous people who still live in its watershed could fill their nets again and again — and fill their plates with an average of 450 pounds of fish per person per year. Melina Mara, Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2023 Abramson also gathered a group of volunteers to remove old dams from Ballona Creek, which were acting as barriers to endangered steelhead trout and other fish. Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2023 Trophy Trout has proven itself far from sunny SoCal, including in the wintry steelhead fisheries of the Great Lakes, and has also been shown to be effective on muskellunge and Northern pike. Morgan Lyle, Field & Stream, 25 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'steelhead.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1882, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of steelhead was circa 1882

Dictionary Entries Near steelhead

Cite this Entry

“Steelhead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steelhead. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

steelhead

noun
steel·​head ˈstē(ə)l-ˌhed How to pronounce steelhead (audio)
plural steelhead also steelheads
: a rainbow trout that migrates to the sea to mature and returns to rivers to breed

called also steelhead trout

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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