sardine
1 Americannoun
plural
sardine,plural
sardines-
the pilchard, Sardina pilchardus, often preserved in oil and used for food.
-
any of various similar, closely related fishes of the herring family Clupeidae.
noun
noun
-
any of various small marine food fishes of the herring family, esp a young pilchard See also sild
-
very closely crowded together
noun
Etymology
Origin of sardine1
1400–50; late Middle English sardeine < Middle French sardine < Latin sardīna, derivative of sarda sardine, noun use of feminine of Sardus Sardinian
Origin of sardine2
1300–50; Middle English (< Late Latin sardīnus ) < Greek sárdinos sardius
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The worst was what they called kapenta, a kind of tiny sardine.
From Literature
He gave Christopher the griffin and a tin of sardines.
From Literature
Tinned sardines on toast reads as aspirational; canned salmon, to some, does not.
From Salon
With 32 men in a boat designed for 25, Short recalled, “it was like sardines in a tin.”
Some fish feed by filtering water, including mackerel, sardines, and anchovies.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
