shad

American  

[shad] / ʃæd /

noun

plural

shad,

plural

shads

1. a deep-bodied herring, Alosa sapidissima, of Europe and North America, that migrates up streams to spawn, used for food.

2. any other fish of the genus Alosa or related genera.

3. any of several unrelated fishes.

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shad British  

/ ʃæd /

noun

1. any of various herring-like food fishes of the genus Alosa and related genera, such as A. alosa ( allis shad ) of Europe, that migrate from the sea to freshwater to spawn: family Clupeidae (herrings)

2. any of various similar but unrelated fishes

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Etymology

Origin of shad

before 1050; Old English sceadd (not recorded in ME)

Example Sentences

Trials found only one tagged twaite shad came within 30cm of the intake heads, compared to 14 before the system was switched on.

From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026

A recent independent U.K. report on the nuclear sector found it would spare the lives of 0.028 sea trout, six river lamprey, 18 allis shad and 528 twaite shad every year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

This leaves no other choice but to impose and enforce greater harvest restrictions to prevent the iconic blue crab from collapsing, as have other mismanaged fisheries including oysters, soft clams, shad and sturgeon.

From Washington Post • Jul. 29, 2022

But an emerging threat becomes evident in early June as Friesen hauls up minnow traps and gillnets packed with carp, gizzard shad, green sunfish and, ominously, three smallmouth bass.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 14, 2022

Runs of spawning Atlantic salmon, short- nose sturgeon, striped bass, and American shad annually filled the harbor.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann