Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
alec

alec

1 9.4
A small fish often eaten in Europe
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : alec

Examples

  • Funny business, smart alec, sassy mouth.

    Eaten Alive (1976)

  • I'm not being a smart-alec.

    Blog text (34)

  • "Whales live in water, don't think they need saving from drowning, and before some smart alec tells me they need salty water, due to the sheer volume of water, there would have been a lot of volcanic activity which creates steam; steam dissolves minerals, and salt is a mineral."

    Blog text (10)

  • The fisherman caught a small alec to use as bait for larger fish.

  • On the menu, I spotted a dish made with alec, a delicacy in the coastal region.

  • In the market, I found fresh alec that was perfect for grilling.

Synonyms

sprat
vsalec
  • UK
1 7.8

A small oily fish often eaten smoked or canned

is the broader small fish term often used for this species in food contexts
Clupea sprattus
vsalec
  • Specialized
9.9

A small silvery fish like a herring that people often eat from a can

is the general food name that especially denotes this European species
brisling
vsalec
  • UK
8.4

A small fatty fish like a sardine often smoked or canned

is a general small fish term rather than this more fatty sardine-like type

Surface Forms

alec singular
alecs plural

Etymology

The word alec is a regional name for a small, edible fish, especially the European sprat, so you can picture it as the tiny fish sold at a harbor market. So, alec means 'a small fish' commonly used for food.