salmon

noun

salm·​on ˈsa-mən 

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

No offense to our go-to honey-mustard salmon, but this 25-minute sheet pan recipe may have just taken the top spot on our weekly rotation! — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 6 July 2026

Think cucumber and smoked salmon sandwiches, cheddar scallion and marigold scones, and prosciutto and fig crostini with lavender (served with bubbles and optional caviar, but of course). — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 July 2026

That’s included 660 pounds or 300 kilograms of Norwegian salmon and trout and 220 pounds or 100 kilograms of halibut, according to Melissa Goldin reporting for the Associated Press. — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026

Lunch tends to be pretty high-end stuff — lobster, salmon, that sort of vibe — and then afternoon tea is served later on. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 4 July 2026

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

Phrases Containing salmon

• Atlantic salmon
• black salmon
• chinook salmon
• chum salmon
• jack salmon
• king salmon
• Pacific salmon
• pink salmon
• red salmon
• salmon pink
• silver salmon
• sockeye salmon

Rhymes for salmon

• famine
• gammon
• mammon
• backgammon
• examen
• examine
• glutamine
• reexamine

Kids Definition

salmon

noun

salm·​on ˈsam-ən 

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 

river 420 miles (676 kilometers) long in central Idaho flowing into the Snake River