Salmons

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of fish recognized for its distinct flavor and pinkish hue, commonly found in both freshwater and saltwater environments
2. This aquatic species migrates from saltwater breeding grounds to freshwater rivers and streams to spawn
3. Frequently popular in culinary dishes, this fish is known for its nutritional value, rich in omega-3 fatty acids

Etymology: "Salmons" is simply the plural of "salmon," used when referring to several distinct kinds or individual fish of the species. The base word arrived in English through Old French "saumon" from Latin "salmō," but it did not replace the older English name for the fish, "lax," which survived in dialect speech and is closely related to the modern word for it. The silent "l" in "salmon" is a later addition. Spelling reformers and scholars inserted it to make the word look more like its Latin source, the same habit that gave English "debt," "indict," and "receipt" their silent letters. The pronunciation never had an "l" in it, so the spelling reflects Latin ancestry rather than how people actually said the word.

Synonyms: fish, salmonids, seafood, piscine, aquatic