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Glite Dictionary
Clupea sprattus

Clupea sprattus

9.9
A small silvery fish like a herring that people often eat from a can
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : espárido
  • The can contained Clupea sprattus packed in sunflower oil.

Examples

  • Researchers studied the migration patterns of Clupea sprattus in the Baltic Sea.

  • I ordered a can of Clupea sprattus for dinner.

  • Many European recipes use Clupea sprattus as a savory ingredient.

  • The Clupea sprattus is often found in European waters.

  • The can contained Clupea sprattus packed in sunflower oil.

  • Many European recipes use Clupea sprattus as a savory ingredient.

  • I ordered a can of Clupea sprattus for dinner.

Synonyms

sprat
vsClupea sprattus
  • UK
1 7.8

A small oily fish often eaten smoked or canned

is the scientific name for that European food fish
alec
vsClupea sprattus
  • Archaic
1 9.4

A small fish often eaten in Europe

is the species' formal scientific name rather than this common term
brisling
vsClupea sprattus
  • UK
8.4

A small fatty fish like a sardine often smoked or canned

names the exact species rather than a similar fatty fish

Surface Forms

Clupea sprattus singular
Clupea sprattuses plural

Morphology

Clupea + sprattus

This is a scientific Latin binomial (genus + species) rather than a normal English compositional phrase; although 'Clupea' denotes herrings and 'sprattus' resembles 'sprat', the Latin taxonomic form and specialist vocabulary mean the exact referent is not fully predictable to a B1 learner. If a learner recognizes the genus and the root 'sprat' they can infer it refers to a small herring-like fish, but the term’s technical nature and one opaque constituent make it only partially transparent.

Etymology

Clupea sprattus comes from old words for a small herring: Clupea meant 'herring' and sprattus meant 'sprat', a tiny oily fish. Think of a little herring packed in a tin—this is why Clupea sprattus means the small, herring-like fish people often eat.