American smelt
- noun
- /əˈmɛrɪkən smɛlt/
- Specialized
:
pez de hielo
- The American smelt migrates upstream to spawn in the spring.
Examples
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Grilled American smelt is a popular dish in some coastal communities.
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Fishermen in Maine often catch American smelt during the annual run.
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The American smelt is a popular fish for local fishermen.
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Have you ever tried American smelt for dinner?
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Fishermen in Maine often catch American smelt during the annual run.
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Grilled American smelt is a popular dish in some coastal communities.
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The American smelt migrates upstream to spawn in the spring.
Synonyms
6
5.8
A small silvery fish that moves between sea and rivers to lay eggs
A small fish that lives in fresh and salt water in eastern North America and Alaska that people eat
A small silvery fish from North America that lives in fresh and coastal waters and is often eaten as food
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'American' specifies geographic association and 'smelt' names the small silvery fish, so the phrase simply denotes a smelt found in America. This adjective+noun naming pattern is common and transparent cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
American smelt comes from the old word smelt, which may come from a word meaning 'smell' because these small, silvery fish give off a strong smell when cooked. That's why the name today refers to this little food fish.