pickerel

noun

pick·​er·​el ˈpi-k(ə-)rəl 

plural pickerel or pickerels

1

a

dialectal, chiefly British : a young or small pike

b

: either of two fishes resembling but smaller than the related northern pike:

(1)

: chain pickerel

(2)

: one (Esox americanus) of eastern North America having green or red fins and a black bar below and slanting away from the eye

2

: walleye sense 3

Examples of pickerel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Lounge the day away while waiting for a pickerel, trout, crappie, or largemouth bass to catch your line, or wade in a nearby stream, as four miles of them await. —Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 2 Apr. 2026

Ice fishing is just as popular as fishing in the summer, with winter bounty including northern pike, walleye, and pickerel. —Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 1 Jan. 2026

Marginal plants such as purple pickerel rush, sweet flag, and variegated water celery (Oenanthe javanica) grow in shallow water along the pond’s edges. —Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 May 2025

Or there’s the Water Gardens, peppered with Victorian water lilies and pickerel plants. —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 14 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English pikerel, diminutive of pike

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing pickerel

• chain pickerel

Kids Definition

pickerel

noun

pick·​er·​el ˈpik-(ə-)rəl 

plural pickerel or pickerels

1

: either of two fishes resembling but smaller than the related pike

2

: walleye