Illustration of flathead catfish
flathead catfish
noun
flat·head catfish
ˈflat-ˌhed- 
: a large yellowish catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) of the central and Gulf states of the U.S. with the sides and back heavily mottled with brown or black
Examples of flathead catfish in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Outdoor Life has reported on several of these unique critters in the past, including a leucistic whitetail buck that a hunter killed in Virginia last November, and the giant leucistic flathead catfish that was caught in Nebraska in October.
—
Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 29 Feb. 2024
Rockin River Ranch State Park fishing Anglers can try their luck fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass, redeye, channel and flathead catfish, bluegill and green sunfish.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024
Local anglers might chalk the decline up to everything from a few high-water events during critical spawning periods, to an influx of invasive flathead catfish, to rising water temperatures in the central and lower parts of the system.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 11 Jan. 2024
Previously in Oklahoma, noodlers were only allowed to keep three flathead catfish, while rod-and-reel anglers were allowed to keep 15.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 15 Nov. 2023
In June 2023, two Texas men caught a 98.7-pound flathead catfish by hand that might become a Texas state record since the fish was weighed on certified scales.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 15 Nov. 2023
Tim Barrett, coastal region fisheries supervisor for the Department of Natural Resources, said crews can only hope to hold down the population of flathead catfish in the Ogeechee.
—CBS News, 28 Sep. 2023
In 1998, a man in Kansas caught a record-breaking 121-pound flathead catfish.
—CBS News, 28 Sep. 2023
Neither channel, nor blue, nor flathead catfish have any teeth, though the interior of their mouths is rough and mildly sharp.
—Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 24 May 2023
Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 29 Feb. 2024
Rockin River Ranch State Park fishing Anglers can try their luck fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass, redeye, channel and flathead catfish, bluegill and green sunfish.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024
Local anglers might chalk the decline up to everything from a few high-water events during critical spawning periods, to an influx of invasive flathead catfish, to rising water temperatures in the central and lower parts of the system.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 11 Jan. 2024
Previously in Oklahoma, noodlers were only allowed to keep three flathead catfish, while rod-and-reel anglers were allowed to keep 15.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 15 Nov. 2023
In June 2023, two Texas men caught a 98.7-pound flathead catfish by hand that might become a Texas state record since the fish was weighed on certified scales.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 15 Nov. 2023
Tim Barrett, coastal region fisheries supervisor for the Department of Natural Resources, said crews can only hope to hold down the population of flathead catfish in the Ogeechee.
—CBS News, 28 Sep. 2023
In 1998, a man in Kansas caught a record-breaking 121-pound flathead catfish.
—CBS News, 28 Sep. 2023
Neither channel, nor blue, nor flathead catfish have any teeth, though the interior of their mouths is rough and mildly sharp.
—Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 24 May 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flathead catfish.' 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
1945, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near flathead catfish
Cite this Entry
“Flathead catfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flathead%20catfish. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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