sardine

noun

sar·​dine sär-ˈdēn 

plural sardines also sardine

1

: any of several small or immature fishes of the herring family

especially : the European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus) especially when young and of a size suitable for preserving for food

2

: any of various small fishes (such as an anchovy) resembling the true sardines or similarly preserved for food

Examples of sardine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Canned Fish Canned fish, like salmon and sardines, are great sources of calcium. —Anthea Levi, Health, 7 Jan. 2026

Nuts and fatty fishes, like salmon and sardines, contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for building the insulating sheaths that surround the nerve fibers that carry information from one brain cell to another. —Dana G. Smith, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026

The shocking clip shows 27-year-old Emily Marzilli and friends encountering a hungry Bryde's whale while swimming near a school of sardines. —Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026

Take the quiz here … OUT OF NOWHERE – Freediver freezes as massive whale erupts to devour sardine bait ball. —FOXNews.com, 5 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sardeine, from Anglo-French, from Latin sardina

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sardine

• agin
• alkene
• allene
• ameen
• amin
• amine
• arene
• athene
• baleen
• beeline
• benzene
• between

Kids Definition

sardine

noun

sar·​dine sär-ˈdēn 

plural sardines also sardine

: any of various young or very small fish often preserved in oil for food