menhaden

men·ha·den

M0216900 (mĕn-hād′n)n. pl. menhaden or men·ha·dens Any of several fishes of the genus Brevoortia, especially B. tyrannus of North American Atlantic waters, used as a source of fish oil, fishmeal, fertilizer, and bait. Also called pogy.

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[Probably blend of Narragansett munnawhatteaûg, a herring-like fish (akin to munnohquohteau, he enriches the land, from its use as a fertilizer) and American English dialectal (New England) poghaden, menhaden (probably of Algonquian origin).]

menhaden

(mɛnˈheɪdən) n, pl -den (Animals) a marine North American fish, Brevoortia tyrannus: source of fishmeal, fertilizer, and oil: family Clupeidae (herrings, etc)[C18: from Algonquian; probably related to Narragansett munnawhatteaúg fertilizer, menhaden]

men•ha•den

(mɛnˈheɪd n)

n., pl. -den. a herringlike W Atlantic fish, Brevoortia tyrannus: important as a source of oil and fertilizer. [1785–95, Amer.; perhaps < Narragansett (E sp.) munnawhatteaûg]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

menhaden - shad-like North American marine fishes used for fish meal and oil and fertilizerBrevoortia tyrannisclupeid, clupeid fish - any of numerous soft-finned schooling food fishes of shallow waters of northern seasBrevoortia, genus Brevoortia - menhadenmenhaden oil - a fatty oil obtained from the menhaden fish and used in paint and ink and in treating leather