pilchard

noun

pil·​chard ˈpil-chərd 

1

: a fish (Sardina pilchardus) of the herring family that occurs in great schools along the coasts of Europe compare sardine sense 1

2

: any of several sardines related to the European pilchard

Examples of pilchard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some of the fish stocks being overexploited include Japanese anchovy, Alaska pollock, and South American pilchard. —Matt Reynolds, Wired, 23 Nov. 2021

One of the keys to the success of the trip was having plenty of live pilchards to use as bait. —Steve Waters, miamiherald, 18 May 2018

Live baits such as pilchards usually catch the bigger tunas, which can range from 15 to 30 or more pounds. —Steve Waters, miamiherald, 14 June 2018

Meanwhile, Vic Gaspeny was busy fighting a dolphin on his 10-weight fly rod and Barron was casting a live pilchard on another spinning rod. —Steve Waters, miamiherald, 18 May 2018

Drifting live pilchards and goggle-eyes behind the boat in the chum slick has been a great way to catch the kings. —Steve Waters, Sun-Sentinel.com, 1 June 2017

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1