sardine
1 Americannoun
plural
sardine,plural
sardines-
the pilchard, Sardina pilchardus, often preserved in oil and used for food.
-
any of various similar, closely related fishes of the herring family Clupeidae.
noun
noun
-
any of various small marine food fishes of the herring family, esp a young pilchard See also sild
-
very closely crowded together
noun
Etymology
Origin of sardine1
1400–50; late Middle English sardeine < Middle French sardine < Latin sardīna, derivative of sarda sardine, noun use of feminine of Sardus Sardinian
Origin of sardine2
1300–50; Middle English (< Late Latin sardīnus ) < Greek sárdinos sardius
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Tinned sardines on toast reads as aspirational; canned salmon, to some, does not.
From Salon
With 32 men in a boat designed for 25, Short recalled, “it was like sardines in a tin.”
Some fish feed by filtering water, including mackerel, sardines, and anchovies.
From Science Daily
Some of my most successful table spreads have included cloudberry jam from Norway, hot sauce from Belize, Japanese matcha, paprika chips from Spain, Portuguese sardines and dukkah, an Egyptian spice mix.
The smoked rainbow trout and slow-smoked mackerel with chili flakes are my personal favorites, but Fishwife’s selection includes salmon, tuna, mussels, sardines, and even beautifully packaged caviar.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
