# trout

/ˈtɹaʊt/ (US) · /tɹˈaʊt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/trout
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. the fish

noun · CEFR B1

a common fish that lives in rivers and lakes, often caught for food.

For teachers: any of several species of freshwater fish in the family Salmonidae, closely related to salmon.

- We spent the afternoon fishing for trout in the mountain stream.
- The chef prepared the rainbow trout with a simple lemon and herb butter to highlight the delicate flavour of the fresh catch.

### 2. rude name for a woman

noun · CEFR C1 · British English · Informal

a rude or insulting way to describe an unpleasant older woman.

For teachers: a derogatory term for an elderly woman perceived as objectionable or ill-tempered.

- The old trout next door complained again about the noise from the garden.
- The character was portrayed as a bitter old trout who spent her days monitoring the neighbours' activities from behind her curtains.

### 3. to slap someone (internet joke)

verb · CEFR C2 · Slang · Humorous

to jokingly 'slap' someone in an online chat, usually to show they said something silly.

For teachers: to figuratively slap a user with a wet fish in an online forum or chat room as a jocular admonishment.

- After he made that terrible pun, his friend trouted him in the chat room.
- The moderator jokingly trouted the user for bringing up a topic that had already been discussed at length in the previous thread.

Usage: Often used in the phrase 'slaps [name] around a bit with a large trout'.

Teaching tip: This is a specific piece of early internet culture (IRC) and is rarely heard in spoken English.

## Examples

- We caught a large trout in the river this morning.
- The restaurant is famous for serving fresh trout caught from the local stream earlier that day.
- Conservationists are working to restore the natural habitat of the native brown trout, which has been threatened by rising water temperatures and industrial runoff.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.