cisco
(ˈsɪskəʊ)
Also siscoe.
[Shortening of Canadian Fr. ciscoette: cf. siscowet.]
The popular name of several species of North American whitefish belonging to the genus Leucichthys, esp. L. artedi.
| 1848 in Bartlett Dict. Amer. 1872 Fur, Fin & Feather 200 Ciscoes are caught mostly on shore, although many take them..from boats. 1880 Libr. Univ. Knowl. VI. 11 Herring are found all along the coast; and in the lakes there is a similar fish known as the siscoe. 1884 D. S. Jordan in Goode Nat. Hist. Aquatic Anim. 541 The Moon-eye or ‘Cisco’ of Lake Michigan..is the smallest of our white-fish, rarely weighing over half a pound. 1903 N.Y. Sun 1 Nov., In the same warehouse are trout, ciscoes, bluefish, weakfish, porgies, and so on. 1965 A. J. McClane Standard Fishing Encycl. 188/1 All ciscoes are coldwater fishes, occurring from New England through the Great Lakes into Canada. |