fingerling

noun

fin·​ger·​ling ˈfiŋ-gər-liŋ 

1

: a small fish especially up to one year of age

Striped bass were once found mainly on the East Coast. Around 1976, they were introduced into Elephant Butte Reservoir as 3-inch-long fingerlings.

—Buddy Mays

2

or fingerling potato : a small, narrow, elongated potato typically ranging in length from two to 5 inches (5 to 13 centimeters) when mature

With the beans and the tuna I like some potatoes, fingerlings that aren't too starchy.

—David Pasternack

Examples of fingerling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In addition to educational programs, the hatchery’s raceway ponds — where fry and fingerlings are raised — normally remain open to visitors through mid-afternoon. —Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2025

Oddly, perhaps, my favorite dish might be the roasted trout ($39.95), which is covered in fresh herbs and served on a bed of saag aloo made with confit fingerling potatoes and spinach and kale cooked in coconut milk. —Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 26 June 2025

The evening continued with a dinner of filet of beef with French fingerlings and corn sauté, asparagus, and sugar snaps in maître d’hôtel butter. —Rusty Terry, Nashville Tennessean, 8 June 2025

If using fingerlings, halve them lengthwise and then again crosswise if the potatoes seem too long. —Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1