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.

Nearby words

Origin of pilchard

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for pilchard

One of the important occupations is the iwashi, or pilchard, fishing.
The Yotsuya Kwaidan or O'Iwa Inari|James S. De Benneville
“I never saw a pilchard,” said Arthur, suddenly beginning to dress.
Menhardoc|George Manville Fenn
It has a fine harbour and docks, and is the centre of the mackerel and pilchard fishing industries.
The Nuttall Encyclopaedia|Edited by Rev. James Wood
It is now held that the pilchard is identical with the sardine, but in a different stage of growth.
Cornwall|Sabine Baring-Gould

Mr. Pennant likewise observes that the scales of the latter easily drop off, whereas those of the Pilchard adhere very closely.
A Guide to the Mount's Bay and the Land's End|John Ayrton Paris

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

Word Origin and History for pilchard

pilchard

fish of the herring family, 1540s, earlier pilcher (1520s), of unknown origin. The -d- is "excrescent" [OED].