n. & adj.
--n. (pl. same or (esp. of types) salmons)
1. any anadromous fish of the family Salmonidae, esp. of the genus Salmo, much prized for its (often smoked) pink flesh.
2 Austral. & NZ the barramundi or a similar fish.
--adj. salmon-pink.
Phrases and idioms:
salmon-ladder (or -leap) a series of steps or other arrangement incorporated in a dam to allow salmon to pass upstream. salmon-pink the colour of salmon flesh. salmon trout a large silver-coloured trout, Salmo trutta.
Derivatives:
salmonoid adj. & n. (in sense 1). salmony adj.
Etymology: ME f. AF sa(u)moun, OF saumon f. L salmo -onis