anchovy
[ an-choh-vee, -chuh-, an-choh-vee ]
/ ˈæn tʃoʊ vi, -tʃə-, ænˈtʃoʊ vi /
|
noun, plural an·cho·vies.
any small, marine, herringlike fish of the family Engraulidae, especially Engraulis encrasicholus, found in the Mediterranean Sea, often preserved in oil and used in salads, spreads, etc., or packaged in paste form.
Nearby words
anchorperson, anchors, anchorwoman, anchory, anchoveta, anchovy, anchovy pear, anchusa, anchusin, anchylo-, anchylose
Origin of anchovy
1590–1600; < French or Ibero-Romance < Genoese anchua, anchova < Vulgar Latin *apiu(v)a, variant of Latin apua (Pliny) < Greek aphýē fry of various fishes
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for anchovy
British Dictionary definitions for anchovy
anchovy
/ (ˈæntʃəvɪ) /
noun plural -vies or -vy
any of various small marine food fishes of the genus Engraulis and related genera, esp E. encrasicolus of S Europe: family Clupeidae (herrings). They have a salty taste and are often tinned or made into a paste or essence
Word Origin for anchovy
C16: from Spanish anchoa, perhaps ultimately from Greek aphuē small fish
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for anchovy
anchovy
1590s, from Portuguese anchova, from Genoese or Corsican dialect, perhaps ultimately from either Latin apua "small fish" (from Greek aphye "small fry") [Gamillscheg, Diez], or from Basque anchu "dried fish," from anchuva "dry" [Klein, citing Mahn].
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper