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Glite Dictionary
silver perch

silver perch

6.0
A small shiny fish in the United States that people catch to eat or for sport
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪlvər pɜːrtʃ/
  • US
translation icon : perca plateada
  • The local fisherman showed off his catch, which included a hefty silver perch he was proud to display.

Examples

  • We'd been fishing for less than half an hour, and already each of us had caught several species, including pogies, surf perch, and silver perch.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • While fishing at the lake, we successfully caught a silver perch that made for a delicious dinner.

  • During our fishing trip, we were thrilled to hook a silver perch, known for its tasty flesh and sport appeal.

Synonyms

perch
vssilver perch
8 4.2

A freshwater fish with sharp fins that lives in lakes and rivers

is one specific edible species rather than the whole group
white perch
vssilver perch
  • US
1 6.6

A small silvery freshwater fish found in streams in eastern North America, often caught for food or sport

is an alternative common name for the same fish
panfish
vssilver perch
  • US
1 8.0

A small freshwater fish you can eat, often caught for food like bluegill or crappie

is a named single species valued for sport and food
Morone americana
vssilver perch
  • Specialized
9.9

A small silvery fish from eastern United States rivers called white perch that people eat and catch for sport

is the everyday common name used by fishermen and cooks

Surface Forms

silver perch singular
silver perches plural

Morphology

silver + perch

The meaning 'a small silvery fish' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'silver' (silvery in appearance) with 'perch' (a type of fish). This adjective+noun naming pattern for animals is common across languages and follows regular English composition, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Silver perch comes from the fish's shiny, silver color (silver) and the fact that it is a kind of perch fish (perch). So the name literally tells us this small, silvery fish is what people catch for 'food' and 'sport'.