sprat

[ sprat ]

noun,plural sprats, (especially collectively) sprat for 1.

a species of herring, Clupea sprattus, of the eastern North Atlantic.
a small or inconsequential person or thing.

Origin of sprat

1590–1600; variant of earlier sprot,Middle English, Old English (cognate with German Sprott); apparently same word as Old English sprott sprout, twig (for the two meanings cf. sprag²); akin to Old English spryttan to sprout

Words Nearby sprat

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

How to use sprat in a sentence

Thomas sprat, an English prelate and poet, died; he was distinguished as a writer, and rewarded with preferments.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel Munsell
The Judge inquired if that was the sole object of the plaintiff, or was it not rather baiting with a sprat to catch a herring?
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | Various
Baxter—so soon as it is ready—will let you see a proof of my introduction, which is only sent out as a sprat to catch whales.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 25 (of 25) | Robert Louis Stevenson
Stow-boating is really sprat catching, and no one can exactly explain the meaning of the term.
A Chapter of Adventures | G. A. Henty
It is particularly abundant at Teignmouth, where it is known as the Sand sprat, and forms an important article of diet.
The Sea Shore | William S. Furneaux

British Dictionary definitions for sprat

sprat

/ (spræt) /

noun

a small marine food fish, Clupea sprattus, of the NE Atlantic Ocean and North Sea: family Clupeidae (herrings): See also brisling
any of various small or young herrings

Origin of sprat

C16: variant of Old English sprott; related to Middle Low German sprott, Norwegian sprot small rod

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

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