salmon

noun

salm·​on ˈsa-mən How to pronounce salmon (audio)
plural salmon also salmons
1
a
: a large anadromous salmonid fish (Salmo salar) of the North Atlantic noted as a game and food fish

called also Atlantic salmon

b
: any of various anadromous salmonid fishes other than the salmon
especially : pacific salmon
c
: a fish (such as a barramundi) resembling a salmon
2
: the variable color of salmon's flesh averaging a strong yellowish pink

Examples of salmon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In Alaska, salmon are one of the main prey sources for belugas—and the fish need cold water to develop their eggs, keep their metabolism stable and prevent energy depletion during long migratory journeys. — Ryan Green, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2026 The serum has a lightweight, salmon-pink gel texture that goes on clear, with a slightly slippery consistency that reminds me of snail mucin. — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 26 Oct. 2026 Life and social structures in remote river villages are rooted in summer fish camps, where the community catches, processes, and preserves the salmon that feeds them through the winter. — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026 There won’t be a salmon dinner or fish and chips on the menu, for example. — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for salmon

Word History

Etymology

Middle English samon, from Anglo-French salmon, samon, from Latin salmon-, salmo

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of salmon was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing salmon

Rhymes for salmon

See All Rhymes for salmon

Browse Nearby Words

Salmo
salmon
Salmon
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Salmon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salmon. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

salmon

noun
salm·​on ˈsam-ən How to pronounce salmon (audio)
plural salmon also salmons
1
: any of various large food and game fishes that are related to the trouts, have reddish or pinkish flesh, live in oceans or large lakes, and swim up rivers or streams to deposit or fertilize eggs: as
a
: one of the northern Atlantic that does not die after breeding

called also Atlantic salmon

b
: any of several fishes (as the Chinook salmon) of the northern Pacific that usually die after breeding

called also Pacific salmon

2
: salmon pink

Geographical Definition

Salmon

geographical name

Salm·​on ˈsa-mən How to pronounce Salmon (audio)
river 420 miles (676 kilometers) long in central Idaho flowing into the Snake River

More from Merriam-Webster on salmon

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about salmon

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