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alewife

noun (1)
ale·​wife | \ ˈāl-ˌwīf How to pronounce alewife (audio) \

Definition of alewife

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: a woman who keeps an alehouse

alewife

noun (2)
plural alewives\ -​ˌwīvz How to pronounce alewives (audio) \

Definition of alewife (Entry 2 of 2)

: a food fish (Alosa pseudoharengus) of the herring family that is very abundant along the Atlantic coast also : any of several related fishes (such as the menhaden)

First Known Use of alewife

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1633, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for alewife

Noun (2)

perhaps alteration of obsolete allowes, a kind of shad, from French alose shad, from Old French, from Late Latin alausa

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The first known use of alewife was in the 15th century

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