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whitebait

[ hwahyt-beyt, wahyt- ]

noun

, plural white·bait.
  1. a young sprat or herring.
  2. Cooking. any small, delicate fish cooked whole without being cleaned, especially the sprat.


whitebait

/ ˈwaɪtˌbeɪt /

noun

  1. the young of herrings, sprats, etc, cooked and eaten whole as a delicacy
  2. any of various small silvery fishes, such as Galaxias attenuatus of Australia and New Zealand and Allosmerus elongatus of North American coastal regions of the Pacific
“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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Word History and Origins

Origin of whitebait1

First recorded in 1750–60; white + bait, so called from use as bait
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Word History and Origins

Origin of whitebait1

C18: from its formerly having been used as bait
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Example Sentences

“Fish Made of Fish, New York,” which he constructed in 1939 by arranging innumerable whitebait into a finny form, is as clean and clear as a woodcut print.

As a food source, similar to the way in which we ourselves might enjoy whitebait?

From Nature

“And he hasn’t been whitebait fishing, so that’s another difference. It’s a great opportunity for the kid. He’s excited about it.”

We made garfish egg patties and deep-fried whitebait in fine polenta.

One day in Lamorna Cove we could see the tiny whitebait in the shallows as kids skipped among them, some being thrown up by the waves.

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