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Webster 1913 Edition


Sprat

Sprat

(sprăt)
,
Noun.
[OE.
sprot
,
sprotte
, D.
sprot
; akin to G.
sprotte
.]
(Zool.)
(a)
A small European herring (
Clupea sprattus
) closely allied to the common herring and the pilchard; – called also
garvie
. The name is also applied to small herring of different kinds.
(b)
A California surf-fish (
Rhacochilus toxotes
); – called also
alfione
, and
perch
.
Sprat borer
(Zool.)
,
the red-throated diver; – so called from its fondness for sprats. See
Diver
.
–
Sprat loon
.
(Zool.)
(a)
The young of the great northern diver
.
[Prov. Eng.]
(b)
The red-throated diver. See
Diver
.
–
Sprat mew
(Zool.)
,
the kittiwake gull.

Webster 1828 Edition


Sprat

SPRAT

,
Noun.
A small fish of the species Clupea.