sardine

¹

[ sahr-deen ]

noun

, plural (especially collectively) sar·dine, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) sar·dines.

1. the pilchard, Sardina pilchardus, often preserved in oil and used for food.
2. any of various similar, closely related fishes of the herring family Clupeidae.

sardine

²

[ sahr-dahyn, -dn ]

noun

1. sard.

sardine

¹

/ ˈsɑːdiːn; -dən /

noun

1. another name for sard

sardine

²

/ sɑːˈdiːn /

noun

1. any of various small marine food fishes of the herring family, esp a young pilchard See also sild
2. like sardines
   very closely crowded together

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of sardine¹

C14: from Late Latin sardinus, from Greek sardinos lithos Sardian stone, from Sardeis Sardis

Origin of sardine²

C15: via Old French from Latin sardīna, diminutive of sarda a fish suitable for pickling

Idioms and Phrases

see packed in like sardines .

Example Sentences

Entrepreneur Max Daily, semi-famous in San Diego for running the pop-up Oslo Sardine Bar, has announced plans to open an eatery on Old Highway 80 with a stage for live music.

From Los Angeles Times

My introduction to Monterey, John Steinbeck’s 1945 classic novel “Cannery Row,” describes its waterfront lined in sardine canneries as “a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream.”

From New York Times

They attributed the first period of weight loss to greater numbers of Japanese sardine, which increased competition with other species for food.

From Science Daily

The team attributed the 1980s weight decline to an increase in Japanese sardine, which likely led to greater competition for food within and between fish species.

From Science Daily

By comparison, in the 2010s, although there was a moderate increase in the population of Japanese sardine and chub mackerel, the team's analysis appeared to show that reduced nutrient supply to the ocean's surface from subsurface layers, due to global warming's effect on the ocean, was an influential factor.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• cluster
• congest
• congregate
• deluge
• flock
• gather
• huddle
• overcrowd
• pack
• pile
• squeeze
• stream
• swamp
• swarm
• throng