noun
fry
Very young fish.
Tiny fry swim near the surface of the quiet pond.
Etymology
The older French word referred to spawn or young fish. English fry preserves the collective sense for fish at an early stage of life.
More examples
- The hatchery raises salmon fry in freshwater tanks.
- Dense plants give the fry places to hide from predators.
- We feed the fry several small meals each day.
Forms
fry
Similar words
- fingerling
- A somewhat older young fish, roughly the length of a finger.
- hatchling
- A newly hatched animal, not necessarily a young fish.