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Webster 1913 Edition
Sardine
Sar′dine
(? or ?; 277)
, Noun.
[F.
sardine
(cf. Sp. sardina
, sarda
, It. sardina
, sardella
), L. sardina
, sarda
; cf. Gr. [GREEK], [GREEK]; so called from the island of Sardinia
, Gr. [GREEK].] (Zool.)
Any one of several small species of herring which are commonly preserved in olive oil for food, especially the pilchard, or European sardine (
Clupea pilchardus
). The California sardine (Clupea sagax
) is similar. The American sardines of the Atlantic coast are mostly the young of the common herring and of the menhaden.