alewife

¹

[ eyl-wahyf ]

noun

, plural ale·wives.

1. a North American fish, Alosa pseudoharengus, resembling a small shad.

alewife

²

[ eyl-wahyf ]

noun

, plural ale·wives.

1. a woman who owns or operates an alehouse.

alewife

/ ˈeɪlˌwaɪf /

noun

1. a North American fish, Pomolobus pseudoharengus, similar to the herring Clupea harengus: family Clupeidae (herrings)

Word History and Origins

Origin of alewife¹

1625–35, Americanism; 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; ale, wife

Word History and Origins

Origin of alewife¹

C19: perhaps an alteration (through influence of alewife, that is, a large rotund woman, alluding to the fish's shape) of French alose shad

Example Sentences

Bunch (Mother), an alewife, mentioned by Dekker in his drama called Satiromastix .

From Project Gutenberg

Among those with a familiar appearance were the sturgeon, perch, and pike, and a small fish resembling our alewife.

From Project Gutenberg

The Menhaden make their appearance in the spring with the arrival of the shad, alewife, blue-fish, and weak-fish.

From Project Gutenberg

The tinker in like vein confesses that he has run up a score with Marian Hacket, the fat alewife of Wincot.

From Project Gutenberg

Alewife in old English was applied to the women, usually very stout dames, who kept alehouses.

From Project Gutenberg