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Glite Dictionary
whitebait

whitebait

1 7.0
Small young fish that people eat whole, often fried
  • noun
  • /ˈwaɪtˌbeɪt/
  • UK
: blanco
  • What's a whitebait?

Examples

  • The restaurant served crispy whitebait as an appetizer, and the guests loved their delicate flavor.

  • Fried whitebait is a popular dish at seaside cafes throughout the summer.

  • Many people enjoy eating whitebait with a squeeze of lemon juice and a side of tartar sauce.

Synonyms

brit
vswhitebait
  • Jargon
1 9.9

Young small fish like herring that seabirds and larger fish eat

is usually eaten whole as food in cooking and meals

Surface Forms

whitebait singular
whitebaits plural

Morphology

whitebait = white + bait (semi-transparent) = white + bait

Components 'white' and 'bait' are clear English words and the compound structure is regular, but the lexicalized meaning 'small juvenile fish eaten whole' is a specific sense not fully predictable from 'white' + 'bait'.

Etymology

Whitebait is a simple combination of white and bait. It names very small, pale or silver young fish that were often used as 'bait' for larger fish and are still eaten whole today, so the name helps you remember they are tiny 'white' fish used for catching or for food.