1. A catfish, especially the brown bullhead, found in North American freshwater.
Usage: regional; chiefly New England and Mid-Atlantic

Examples

• The fisherman caught a hornpout in the pond.
• Hornpout are common in New England lakes and streams.
• My grandfather used to fish for hornpout every summer.
• The hornpout has whisker-like barbels around its mouth.
• Local anglers call the brown bullhead a hornpout.