pilchard

noun

pil·chard | \ˈpil-chərd

\

Definition of pilchard

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

Live baits such as pilchards usually catch the bigger tunas, which can range from 15 to 30 or more pounds. — Steve Waters, miamiherald, "Fishing for blackfin tunas? Here is a great and fun place in the Florida Keys to do that," 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, "“Mahi Madness:” Some tips on taking advantage of Dolphin fishing in the Florida Keys | Miami Herald," 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, "South Florida fishing report: big kingfish biting live bait," 1 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pilchard.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

7 Oct 2018

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Time Traveler for pilchard

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

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