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Definition of jack smelt

jack smelt

Plural:jack smelts
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• noun

1

North American A marine fish of the silverside family native to the Pacific coast of North America, characterized by its elongated, schooling behavior and silvery stripe.

Example

"Local anglers often catch jack smelt off the coastal piers of California using small hooks and bait."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for jack smelt

Word Nuance & Usage

Despite its common name, the jack smelt is not a true smelt (family Osmeridae) but rather a species of Neotropical silverside (family Atherinopsidae). It is frequently spelled as a single word, 'jacksmelt'.

• Nearby Words

jack bean
jack dempsey
jack in the pulpit
jack smelt
jack-in-the-pulpit
jackal
jackalberry

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Jack smelt. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/jack-smelt
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