anchovy

American  

[an-choh-vee, -chuh-, an-choh-vee] / ˈæn tʃoʊ vi, -tʃə-, ænˈtʃoʊ vi /

noun

• anchovies
  plural

1. 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.

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anchovy British  

/ ˈæntʃəvɪ /

noun

1. 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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• anchovies
  plural

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Etymology

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

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Explanation

An anchovy is a very small, silvery fish. People who eat anchovies enjoy their strong, fishy flavor. While you can buy fresh anchovies from many fish markets, they're most commonly sold packed in small tins, covered in salt and oil. Fishermen often use anchovies as bait for larger fish as well. Even people who don't think they like anchovies are sometimes familiar with the taste, as they're used in Caesar salad dressing and Worcestershire sauce. Anchovy comes from the Portuguese anchova, possibly from the Latin apua, "small fish."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

anchovy anchovies

This is also when I deploy what I lovingly think of as my potions and powders: anchovy, tomato paste, miso, soy sauce, fish sauce, bouillon paste or cubes, mushroom and brown gravy powder.

From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026

Peru, the world's largest catcher of anchovy, is facing a devastating blow from warming seas that have gutted production, according to industry officials.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

Other descriptions have included it being like a mix of anchovy paste and high-strength cod liver oil.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

An anchovy shortage is messing with the whole fish economy.

From Slate ● Jul. 4, 2026

He loved introducing me to special tidbits, and by the age of nine I had developed a passionate taste for cold vichyssoise and caviar and anchovy paste.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath

It features whole leaves of romaine lettuce massaged by hand with a dressing of fresh garlic, lime, Worcestershire, soft-poached eggs and Cantabrian anchovies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

The warming of the ocean surface is forcing anchovies and sardines -- which the mammals eat -- to seek cooler waters, either at deeper levels or farther north.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

Originally from Nice, the classic salade Niçoise has just a handful of local ingredients, including tomatoes, anchovies and seasonal greens.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

During El Niño, less cold, nutrient rich water comes to the surface, reducing food availability for marine species such as anchovies.

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026

All we need to do is sauté olives, capers, anchovies, garlic, chopped parsley, and tomatoes together in a pot, and prepare spaghetti to go with it.”

From "The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket

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