sprat

sprat
/sprat/, n., pl. sprats, (esp. collectively) sprat for 1.
1. a species of herring, Clupea sprattus, of the eastern North Atlantic.
2. a small or inconsequential person or thing.
[1590-1600; var. of earlier sprot, ME, OE (c. G Sprott); appar. same word as OE sprott sprout, twig (for the two meanings cf. SPRAG2); akin to OE spryttan to SPROUT]

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Species (Sprattus sprattus) of edible fish in the herring family.

Sprats are silver marine fishes that form enormous schools in western European waters. Less than 6 in. (15 cm) long, they are especially valuable for canning as sardines. They are eaten fresh, tinned in oil, pickled, or smoked. The term also refers to a small or young herring or similar fish (e.g., anchovy).

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • sprat — sprat …   Dictionnaire des rimes

  • sprat — [ sprat ] n. m. • 1772; sprot 1723; mot angl. ♦ Petit poisson marin (clupéiformes), voisin du hareng, appelé aussi anchois de Norvège.⇒ harenguet. Sprat fumé. ● sprat nom masculin (anglais sprat) Poisson (clupéidé) des mers nordiques, voisin du… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Sprat — (spr[a^]t), n. [OE. sprot, sprotte, D. sprot; akin to G. sprotte.] (Zo[ o]l.) (a) A small European herring ({Clupea sprattus}) closely allied to the common herring and the pilchard; called also {garvie}. The name is also applied to small herring… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • şprat — s. m. Trimis de siveco, 10.08.2004. Sursa: Dicţionar ortografic  ŞPRAT s. m. peşte mic din familia clupeide, asemănător cu heringul, în Marea Nordului şi Marea Mânecii. (< engl., fr. sprat) Trimis de raduborza, 15.09.2007. Sursa: MDN …   Dicționar Român

  • sprat — ► NOUN 1) a small marine fish of the herring family, caught for food and fish products. 2) informal any small sea fish. ● a sprat to catch a mackerel Cf. ↑a sprat to catch a mackerel ORIGIN Old English …   English terms dictionary

  • Sprat — Sprat, Jack →↑Jack Sprat …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • sprat — [ spræt ] noun count a small fish that lives in the ocean in the northern half of the world. It is a type of herring. a. uncount a sprat eaten as food …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • sprat — sprat; sprat·ter; …   English syllables

  • sprat — [sprat] n. [< ME sprotte < OE sprott: for IE base see SPROUT] any of a genus (Sprattus) of small, silvery herrings of temperate seas, esp. a European species ( S. sprattus) often canned as food …   English World dictionary

  • sprat — ( ţi), s.m. – Varietate de sardele (Clupea Sulinae). it. spratto (Candrea). Trimis de blaurb, 13.01.2009. Sursa: DER …   Dicționar Român

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