sprat

(sprăt)

1. Any of various small marine food fishes of the genus Sprattus, especially S. sprattus of the northeast Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas, eaten fresh or smoked and often canned as a sardine. Also called brisling.

2. Any of various other fishes of the family Clupeidae, such as a young herring.

[Middle English sprot, spratte, from Old English sprot.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

sprat

(spræt)

1. (Animals) a small marine food fish, Clupea sprattus, of the NE Atlantic Ocean and North Sea: family Clupeidae (herrings). See also brisling

2. (Animals) any of various small or young herrings

[C16: variant of Old English sprott; related to Middle Low German sprott, Norwegian sprot small rod]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

sprat

(spræt)

n., pl. sprats, (esp. collectively) sprat for 1.

1. a herring, Clupea sprattus, of the E North Atlantic.

2. a young or small person or thing.

[1590–1600; variant of earlier sprot, Middle English, Old English, c. Middle Dutch]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	sprat - small fatty European fish; usually smoked or canned like sardines brisling Clupea sprattus, sprat, brisling - small herring processed like a sardine herring - valuable flesh of fatty fish from shallow waters of northern Atlantic or Pacific; usually salted or pickled
	2.	sprat - small herring processed like a sardine Clupea sprattus, brisling Clupea, genus Clupea - type genus of the Clupeidae: typical herrings sardine - any of various small edible herring or related food fishes frequently canned brisling, sprat - small fatty European fish; usually smoked or canned like sardines

sprat

noun

Related words
young brit

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

sprat

[spræt] N → espadín m, sardineta f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

sprat

[ˈspræt] n (= fish) → sprat m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

sprat

n → Sprotte f; to set or use a sprat to catch a mackerel (prov) → mit der Wurst nach der Speckseite werfen (Prov)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

sprat

[spræt] n (fish) → spratto

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

When the battle was at its height, a Sprat lifted its head out of the waves and said that he would reconcile their differences if they would accept him as an umpire.

View in context

"Or even," said he, "if you was helped to knocking her up a new chain for the front door - or say a gross or two of shark-headed screws for general use - or some light fancy article, such as a toasting-fork when she took her muffins - or a gridiron when she took a sprat or such like--"

View in context

"And yet he's given a whole half hour to the consideration of my very small sprat," interjected the Assistant Commissioner.

View in context

Here, in Numbers Five and Six, are my own personal subscriptions to local charities, actually paid in remunerative neighborhoods, on the principle of throwing a sprat to catch a herring; also, my diary of each day's proceedings, my personal reflections and remarks, my statement of existing difficulties (such as the difficulty of finding myself T.

View in context

Doctor South did not reply, and the servant brought in some grilled sprats. Philip ate them with an excellent appetite.

View in context

Never, never, never, marry a little man!" Papa also would remark to me (he possessed extraordinary humour),"that a family of whales must not ally themselves with sprats." His company was eagerly sought, as may be supposed, by the wits of the day, and our house was their continual resort.

View in context

Each boy had a quarter of a loaf of bread and pat of butter, and as much tea as he pleased; and there was scarcely one who didn't add to this some further luxury, such as baked potatoes, a herring, sprats, or something of the sort.

View in context

"How quaint it would, be if one could carry it about like a lantern, or have little sprats for candles.

View in context

"Fishing for sprats is extremely damaging, and life in the Black Sea is dying, two reasons, firstly pollution, and secondly, excessive catches of sprat, which is the basis of the food chain, all predators eating sprats.

In recent Years, Dozens of Fish Species have Disappeared from the Black Sea

Immature fish, it was stated, like small herrings were known as 'sprat herrings.' The Stipendiary said that no doubt a mistake was made at times in consigning, but in the present instance he must dismiss the case.

12 more VCs are awarded; NICOLE MCCLURG looks back at what was making the news 100 years ago

The flavour of the dish comes from the 'Ansjovis', which are pickled sprats (and not to be confused with anchovies).

A BIT ON THE SIDE; Give potatoes the attention they deserve at dinnertime with these delicious Scandi side dishes

Therefore, the EU has set maximum levels of PAHs in foodstuffs via Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 amended by Regulation (EU) No 835/2011 [1], which added limits for the sum of four PAHs in foodstuffs including adding smoked sprats and canned smoked sprats to the range of foodstuffs.

SGS Reports: Annex to Regulation on Levels of PAH in Foodstuffs Amended by EU Commission