sardine
(sɑːʳdiːn )
Word forms: sardines
1. countable noun
Sardines are a kind of small sea fish, often eaten as food.
They opened a tin of sardines.
2. packed like sardines phrase
If you say that a crowd of people are packed like sardines, you are emphasizing that they are sitting or standing so close together that they cannot move easily. [emphasis]
The commuters were packed like sardines.
Image of sardine
© Fleckstone, Shutterstock
Collocations:
tin of sardines
If they were lucky they shared a tin of sardines.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
He also sings the praises of the humble tin of sardines.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
It's perfect with a tin of sardines.
The Sun (2011)
Translations:
Chinese: 沙丁鱼
Japanese: サーディン
- not to mention
- not to miss a trick
- not-too-distant future
- not to put too fine a point on it
- not to say
- not to speak of
- not to take no for an answer
- not to worry
- not turn a hair
- not turn a hair
- not unnaturally
- not up to much
- not up to par
- not very
- not with a bang but a whimper
- not with a bang but a whimper
- notwithstanding
- not worth the candle
- not worth the paper it's written on
- no two ways about it
- not your brother's keeper
- not your cup of tea
- not your type
- nougat
- nought