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pilchard

[ pil-cherd ]
/ ˈpɪl tʃərd /

noun

a small, southern European, marine fish, Sardina pilchardus, related to the herring but smaller and rounder.
any of several related fishes, as Sardinops caeruleus, common off the California coast.

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Origin of pilchard

First recorded in 1520–30; earlier pilcher; origin uncertain

Words nearby pilchard

Pilate, Pontius, Pilates, Pilatus, pilau, pilch, pilchard, Pilcomayo, pilcrow, pile, pilea, pileate
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for pilchard

British Dictionary definitions for pilchard

pilchard
/ (ˈpɪltʃəd) /

noun

a European food fish, Sardina (or Clupea) pilchardus, with a rounded body covered with large scales: family Clupeidae (herrings)
a related fish, Sardinops neopilchardus, of S Australian waters

Word Origin for pilchard

C16: pylcher, of obscure origin
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