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

Even after the spring rolls and the salmon, these ladies are still starving. —Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026

Choose salmon that looks moist as this is a sign of freshness. —Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026

Learn to love what's good for you The great thing, Wood says is, parents can help kids fall in love with the healthier alternatives — to love salmon and bok choy at dinner, love playing outside with friends, or love working hard in school. —Michaeleen Doucleff, NPR, 9 Mar. 2026

Beyond omega-3s, salmon also delivers high-quality protein, vitamin D and selenium — nutrients that work together in a way that cardiologists say supplements alone cannot replicate. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 9 Mar. 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