alewife

1
[ eyl-wahyf ]

noun,plural ale·wives.
  1. a North American fish, Alosa pseudoharengus, resembling a small shad.

Origin of alewife

1
1625–35, Americanism; earlier allowes, perhaps influenced by alewife2, probably <French alose shad <Gallo-Latin alausa

Words Nearby alewife

Other definitions for alewife (2 of 2)

alewife2
[ eyl-wahyf ]

noun,plural ale·wives.
  1. a woman who owns or operates an alehouse.

Origin of alewife

2
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at ale, wife

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How to use alewife in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for alewife

alewife

/ (ˈeɪlˌwaɪf) /


nounplural -wives
  1. a North American fish, Pomolobus pseudoharengus, similar to the herring Clupea harengus: family Clupeidae (herrings)

Origin of alewife

1
C19: perhaps an alteration (through influence of alewife, that is, a large rotund woman, alluding to the fish's shape) of French alose shad

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