Skip to main content
Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

9.9
A large Pacific salmon called king salmon that people eat and that lays eggs and then dies
  • noun
  • /ˌɒŋkəˈrɪŋkəs tʃəˈwɪtsʧə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : salmón chinook
  • The Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, also called king salmon, is valued for its rich flavor and nutritional benefits.

Examples

  • The Oncorhynchus tshawytscha is prized by anglers for its impressive size and strength.

  • Fisheries in Alaska heavily depend on the annual migration of Oncorhynchus tshawytscha for commercial harvests.

  • After spawning, the Oncorhynchus tshawytscha die, completing their remarkable life cycle.

  • The Oncorhynchus tshawytscha is known for its rich flavor.

  • Have you ever tasted Oncorhynchus tshawytscha?

  • Fisheries in Alaska rely on the annual migration of Oncorhynchus tshawytscha for commercial harvests.

  • After spawning, adult Oncorhynchus tshawytscha complete their life cycle, returning to the place they were born.

Synonyms

chinook
vsOncorhynchus tshawytscha
  • US
3 8.0

A large salmon from the Pacific Ocean often eaten as food

refers to the living fish including its life cycle rather than just meat
king salmon
vsOncorhynchus tshawytscha
  • US
1 3.5

A very large Pacific salmon valued as food that dies after spawning

is an alternative common name used for the same species
chinook salmon
vsOncorhynchus tshawytscha
  • US
4.6

A large Pacific fish eaten as food that dies after laying eggs

is the scientific name highlighting alternate common names
quinnat salmon
vsOncorhynchus tshawytscha
  • Archaic
8.4

A large Pacific fish eaten for its rich meat that lays eggs and then dies

is the formal scientific label used instead of common names

Surface Forms

Morphology

Oncorhynchus + tshawytscha

This is a Latin binomial: the genus 'Oncorhynchus' labels a group of salmon but the specific epithet 'tshawytscha' is not a normal English word and carries no compositional meaning a B1 learner could use. Scientific species names are essentially arbitrary, language-neutral labels, so their full referent ('king/Chinook salmon, a large Pacific salmon') cannot be derived from the parts.

Etymology

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha comes from older words that give a simple picture. The first part, Oncorhynchus, joins words for hook and nose, like the hooked jaw male salmon grow when they lay eggs, and the second part, tshawytscha, comes from a local native name for the 'Chinook' or 'king salmon', so the full name points to the large, famous salmon we know today.