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Glite Dictionary
European smelt

European smelt

7.1
A small thin silver fish found in European rivers and coasts with a mild taste
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : espárido
  • Fishermen catch European smelt in large numbers during their spring migration to freshwater rivers.

Examples

  • The delicate taste of European smelt makes it a popular dish in some European countries.

  • Biologists studied the spawning habits of the European smelt in coastal estuaries.

  • The European smelt is popular in many European cuisines.

  • Have you ever tasted European smelt?

  • Fishermen catch European smelt in large numbers during their spring migration to freshwater rivers.

  • The delicate taste of European smelt makes it a popular dish in some European countries.

  • Biologists studied the spawning habits of the European smelt in coastal estuaries.

Synonyms

smelt
vsEuropean smelt
6 5.8

A small silvery fish that moves between sea and rivers to lay eggs

is a single species from northern coastal waters not the broader fish group
Osmerus eperlanus
vsEuropean smelt
  • Specialized
9.9

A small silver fish that lives in rivers and along northern European coasts

is the common name used in everyday contexts for the same fish
sparling
vsEuropean smelt
  • UK
9.9

A small silvery fish found in the sea and rivers of northern Europe

is the general common name used more widely for that fish

Surface Forms

European smelt singular
European smelts plural

Morphology

European + smelt

The noun phrase 'European smelt' is fully compositional: 'European' restricts origin/association and 'smelt' names the small silvery fish, so the phrase simply denotes smelt from Europe. This adjective+noun pattern is a basic, cross-linguistically common construction, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

European smelt combines place and fish: European shows where it lives and smelt is the name for a small, silvery fish. The picture of a slender, shiny fish that swims into rivers in spring helps explain why the name means this delicate little fish today.