smolt

Meanings

Adjective

• Bright; serene.
• Calm; fine; fair.
• Smooth and shining.

Noun

• A young salmon two or three years old, when it has acquired its silvery color.

Origin

• From Middle English smolt, smylt, from Old English smolt, smeolt, from Proto-Germanic *smultaz, *smeltaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)meld- ("to beat, grind, crush, make weak"). Cognate with Scots smolt ("calm"), Old Saxon smultro ("quiet"), Middle Dutch smolt, smout, Middle High German smolz ("dear, lovely, beautiful, sheen").
• Probably an alteration of smelt, due to smolt. See above.