Meaning & use
chinook salmon
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A large species of Pacific salmon with a silvery body, highly valued as food and for sport fishing.
Grammar: Can be countable (a chinook salmon, two chinook salmon) or uncountable when referring to the meat (eat chinook salmon). The plural is usually the same as the singular.
Patterns
- a chinook salmon
- catch a chinook salmon
- chinook salmon fishing
The river is famous for its run of chinook salmon in the fall.
We ordered grilled chinook salmon at the seafood restaurant.
Chinook salmon can weigh over thirty pounds.
noununcountable
The flesh of this fish eaten as food.
Grammar: Uncountable when talking about the food; do not use 'a' or plural -s.
Patterns
- fresh chinook salmon
- smoked chinook salmon
The menu features chinook salmon with lemon and herbs.
She bought fresh chinook salmon from the market.
Word forms
| plural | chinook salmon |
|---|---|
| plural | chinook salmons |
Common combinations
- chinook salmon run
- Thousands of fish return during the chinook salmon run.
- wild chinook salmon
- Wild chinook salmon is more expensive than farmed.
- catch a chinook salmon
- He caught a chinook salmon weighing twenty pounds.
- chinook salmon fishing
- Chinook salmon fishing is popular in Alaska.
- smoked chinook salmon
- They served smoked chinook salmon as an appetizer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- king salmon
- The common American name for the same fish, often used on menus and in markets.
- spring salmon
- A Canadian name for chinook salmon, especially when caught in spring.
- tyee
- A term used in British Columbia for a large chinook salmon, especially one over 30 pounds.
Commonly confused: chinook salmon or chum salmon? chinook salmon or coho salmon?
chinook salmon vs chum salmon
Chum salmon is a different species of Pacific salmon, usually smaller and less prized for eating.
chinook salmon vs coho salmon
Coho salmon is another Pacific salmon species, typically smaller than chinook and with a different flavor.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'chinook salmon' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Grilled chinook salmon' is correct because chinook salmon is a fish eaten as food. Option 1 is wrong because salmon do not fly. Option 2 is wrong because chinook salmon is a Pacific salmon, not a trout. Option 3 is wrong because chinook salmon are native to the Pacific, not the Atlantic.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “chinook salmon”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.