alewife
1 Americannoun
noun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of alewife1
1625–35, earlier allowes, perhaps influenced by alewife 2, probably < French alose shad < Gallo-Latin alausa
Origin of alewife2
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at ale, wife
Explanation
An alewife is a small fish, a type of herring. Alewives are found in the Atlantic Ocean, primarily in the Northeast of the US and Canada. In Maine, the alewife is used for bait in lobster traps, and it's also eaten by people, often smoked. There are different names for alewives in different locations, including gaspereau in Atlantic Canada and kiack in Nova Scotia. In the 14th century, an alewife was a tavern or bar keeper's wife: the fish got the name in the 1600s, as a kind of bad joke, from the shape of its rounded abdomen.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The alewife has several advantages over other fish facing threats: It’s adaptable, willing to swim up another stream when a beaver has blocked its way.
From Slate • Jun. 10, 2016
Nobody really knows what makes the alewife population tick one way or another.
From Slate • Jun. 10, 2016
As some of you correctly noted, this man is holding an alewife, also known as a herring.
From New York Times • Apr. 13, 2011
It contains recipes for shark steak, skate chowder, the plentiful but oily menhaden, the humble but edible alewife, the delicious ocean pout, of which Massachusetts fisheries have recently sold huge quantities.
From Time Magazine Archive
He had had no breakfast and for supper the night before only one salt alewife and a mug of milk.
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
