salmon

salmon — noun

1. A medium-sized fish with shiny silver skin, found in both the ocean and freshwat

1.nounA2
Definition

A medium-sized fish with shiny silver skin, found in both the ocean and freshwater rivers. Each year it travels upstream to deposit its eggs, and people in many countries cook and eat its pink-orange meat.

Example

Walid ordered grilled salmon with a side of vegetables for dinner.

grilled salmon — common cooking method

Every spring, wild salmon swim up this river to lay their eggs.

salmon swim up river — migration to spawn

Common collocations
  • grilled salmon
  • smoked salmon
  • wild salmon
  • fresh salmon
  • salmon fillet
  • salmon steak
  • salmon fishing
  • salmon run
Synonyms
  • trout

    a related freshwater fish, smaller than salmon, with similar pink or white flesh

  • tuna

    a large ocean fish also widely eaten; its flesh is darker and firmer than salmon's

Usage Note

The plural form is the same as the singular: one salmon, two salmon. Using 'salmons' is not considered standard.

Common Mistakes

I bought three salmons at the market.
I bought three salmon at the market.
salmon has the same form in singular and plural, like 'sheep' or 'fish.'

2. A light pinkish orange shade, similar to the colour of salmon meat. It is common

2.nounB1
Definition

A light pinkish orange shade, similar to the colour of salmon meat. It is commonly used in fashion, interior design, and cosmetics.

Example

Eleni wore a salmon-coloured dress to the summer wedding.

salmon-coloured — compound adjective for colour

The bedroom walls were painted a soft salmon, which made the room feel warm.

Common collocations
  • salmon pink
  • salmon-coloured
  • pale salmon
  • soft salmon
  • salmon dress
  • salmon walls
Synonyms
  • coral

    a slightly more pinkish-orange shade, closer to the colour of coral reefs

  • peach

    a softer, more yellow-toned light orange than salmon

  • pinkish orange

    a descriptive phrase naming the two main colour components of salmon

Usage Note

Commonly used as a compound modifier before a noun, either with a hyphen (salmon-coloured) or as part of a two-word phrase (salmon pink).

Common Mistakes

The sofa is salmon colour.
The sofa is salmon-coloured.
when describing an object, use the compound adjective form 'salmon-coloured' or say 'a salmon colour.'

salmon — idiom

Word family

  • salmonid
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three are popular edible fish, but they differ in habitat, colour, and fat content. Trout is the closest relative — it is a freshwater fish with similar pinkish flesh, though generally smaller and milder in flavour. Tuna is a large ocean fish with darker, firmer meat and a stronger taste; it is not related to salmon biologically. Mackerel is an oily ocean fish with a rich, distinct flavour and darker greyish-pink flesh. In cooking, salmon is prized for its high fat content and versatile texture — it can be grilled, smoked, baked, or eaten raw. Trout is often prepared the same way, while tuna is more commonly seared or eaten raw, and mackerel is usually grilled or pickled.

trout ↗tuna ↗mackerel

Common collocations

Nouns

  • salmon population
  • salmon habitat
  • salmon farming
  • salmon fisheries

Phrases

  • piece of salmon
  • fillet of salmon
  • salmon fishing
  • salmon farming industry

Prepositions

  • of salmon
  • salmon with

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'salmon' comes from Latin 'salmo,' meaning 'a leaping fish' — a reference to the way salmon jump up waterfalls and rapids during their migration. It passed into Old French as 'saumon' and then into Middle English as 'samoun.' The silent letter 'l' was added later during the 16th and 17th centuries under the influence of the original Latin spelling.