jacksmelt

1 9.9

A fairly large silver fish from the west coast of North America that can grow to 18 inches

noun
/ˈdʒæksmɛlt/

: pez jacksmelt

While fishing off the coast, we caught a jacksmelt that measured over 15 inches in length.

Examples

The jacksmelt is a popular catch for recreational fishermen along the Pacific coast.
Jacksmelt was important only in the early years from 1959 to 1968, comprising 6% of the catch for that period and 0.3% thereafter.

Academic text (1995)
Brown rockfish, black rockfish, and jacksmelt, Atherionopsis californiensis, were more important in Santa Cruz than in Monterey.

Academic text (1995)
Jacksmelt are known for their silver bodies and are often confused with herring by novice anglers.

Synonyms

Atherinopsis californiensis

vsjacksmelt

Specialized

9.9

A fairly large silver fish called jacksmelt found along the Pacific coast of North America

is the common name used in everyday contexts rather than the scientific form

Surface Forms

jacksmelt singular

jacksmelts plural

Morphology

jacksmelt = jack + smelt (transparent) = jack + smelt

A straightforward compound 'jack' + 'smelt' denoting a type of smelt; learners who know both components can infer it is a kind of smelt.

Etymology

The word jacksmelt combines jack and smelt. The part jack is a common name, like the name 'Jack', often used for many fish to mean a larger or familiar kind, and smelt is a small silvery fish, so jacksmelt is a smelt-like fish that is often larger than a typical smelt.