sprattingn.
/ˈspratɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈsprædɪŋ/ The action or practice of fishing for sprats. Cf. sprat v. 2.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > hunting > fishing > fishing for type of fish > [noun] > for sprats
sprat fare?1568
spratting1818
stowboating1833
1818 Morning Chron. 21 Jan. As a small boat..was returning from spratting, by a sudden gust of wind she was upset.
1883 R. C. Leslie Sea-painter's Log ix A seine is also used for spratting in bays where the shore is clean.
1938 Jrnl. Animal Ecol. 7 123 Of the four main fisheries of the district, viz. cockling, shrimping, spratting and whitebaiting, only spratting is not dependent on the plankton of the Estuary for its maintenance.
2016 Independent (Nexis) 15 Sept. 49 After lunch, fishermen from Island Fish on Bryher induct partygoers into the art of..‘spratting’—fishing for tiny silvery whitebait.
Compounds
General attributive, as spratting boat, spratting net, spratting season, etc.
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1837 Constitutional & Public Ledger 8 June The salvors..were engaged in what is called spratting voyages (catching sprats for manure).
1860 Ipswich Jrnl. 3 Nov. We hope this spratting season will also prove a remunerative one.
1870 Hampshire Tel. & Sussex Chron. 15 Oct. A nearly new spratting net.
1960 Times 10 Dec. 8/7 The fishing-smacks and spratting boats came out again.
2007 Herald Express (Torquay) (Nexis) 10 Nov. 4 The spratting fleet is delighted with the high-priced feast.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2019; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1818