Meaning
Young salmon, at a stage between fry and smolt when they feed chiefly on invertebrates but cannot tolerate saltwater.
Etymology
Origin: Middle English
Compare Scottish Gaelic bradan (“salmon”). For the salmon life stage, the word originates from the Middle English parren (“to enclose”), referring to the spots running along the side of the fish, resembling the bars of a fence.
NYT Puzzle Appearances
No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.