anchovy

[ an-choh-vee, -chuh-, an-choh-vee ]

noun

, plural an·cho·vies.

1. any small, marine, herringlike fish of the family Engraulidae, especially Engraulis encrasicholus, found in the Mediterranean Sea, often preserved in oil and used in salads, spreads, etc., or packaged in paste form.

anchovy

/ ˈæntʃəvɪ /

noun

1. any of various small marine food fishes of the genus Engraulis and related genera, esp E. encrasicolus of S Europe: family Clupeidae (herrings). They have a salty taste and are often tinned or made into a paste or essence

Word History and Origins

Origin of anchovy¹

1590–1600; < French or Ibero-Romance < Genoese anchua, anchova < Vulgar Latin *apiu ( v ) a, variant of Latin apua (Pliny) < Greek aphýē fry of various fishes

Word History and Origins

Origin of anchovy¹

C16: from Spanish anchoa, perhaps ultimately from Greek aphuē small fish

Example Sentences

And, it pays homage to writer and chef Alison Roman, whose famed shallot pasta calls for a tin of anchovy fillets.

From Salon

“I’m like, are you planning on eating as many anchovy as a sea lion?” she said, noting that sea lions eat roughly 5% to 8% of their body weight per day.

From Los Angeles Times

For a 150-pound person, that would be 7.5 to 12 pounds of anchovy.

From Los Angeles Times

Michael Milstein, a spokesperson for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said the most recent fisheries survey found “considerable declines in anchovy off the south half of the state, where most of the strandings are.”

From Los Angeles Times

It includes everything from fish like cod and mackerel, to shellfish and molluscs like shrimp and octopus, to the roe of alaska pollock and blue mussel, to various types of seaweed and on to processed seafood products like anchovy paste and fish sauce.

From Science Daily