menhaden

[ men-heyd-n ]

/ mɛnˈheɪd n /

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noun, plural men·ha·den.

any marine clupeid fish of the genus Brevoortia, especially B. tyrannus, resembling a shad but with a more compressed body, common along the eastern coast of the U.S., and used for making oil and fertilizer.

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Origin of menhaden

First recorded in 1635–45, Americanism; perhaps from Narragansett (English spelling) munnawhatteaûg, influenced by English dialect poghaden; cf. pogy¹

Words nearby menhaden

M.Eng., Mengelberg, Menger, Mengistu Haile Mariam, Mengzi, menhaden, menhir, menial, Ménière's syndrome, menilite, Meninga

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use menhaden in a sentence

Menhaden fish, found near the surface of the water, are inedible but are now being used for making fertilizer and oil in Virginia.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
Menhaden have been seen floating at the surface which have been cut nearly in twain by a blow of a sword.
Tales of Fishes|Zane Grey
When fishing for these in the swift tideways, menhaden bait is used.
Fast Nine|Alan Douglas
Salted menhaden and the refuse from scallops are ground up together, forming a mass of about the consistency of thick molasses.
Days in the Open|Lathan A. Crandall

By the end of the Civil War the menhaden catch along the coast of Maine was beginning to drop off.
The Stronghold|Miriam Haynie

British Dictionary definitions for menhaden

menhaden

/ (mɛnˈheɪdən) /

noun plural -den

a marine North American fish, Brevoortia tyrannus: source of fishmeal, fertilizer, and oil: family Clupeidae (herrings, etc)

Word Origin for menhaden

C18: from Algonquian; probably related to Narragansett munnawhatteaúg fertilizer, menhaden

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