white crappie
white crappie Lexical Profile
• noun
North American A silvery-green freshwater sunfish (Pomoxis annularis) native to the lakes and rivers of North America, characterized by faint vertical dark bars on its sides and highly valued as a game fish and panfish.
"Early spring is the best time for anglers to catch white crappie as the fish move into shallower waters to spawn."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often confused with the closely related black crappie; the white crappie can be distinguished by having faint vertical dark bars on its sides rather than irregular spotting, and possessing six dorsal spines instead of seven or eight.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The term 'white' refers to its lighter silvery coloration compared to its relative, the black crappie. 'Crappie' derives from the Canadian French word 'crapet', used generally to describe various North American sunfishes.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.