shad

views updated May 23 2018

shad / shad/ • n. (pl. same or shads) a fish (genera Alosa and Caspialosa) of the herring family that spends much of its life in the sea, typically entering rivers to spawn. It is an important food fish in many regions.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

shad

views updated May 18 2018

shad Oily fish, Alosa spp. (American shad is A. sapidissima) related to herring, that spawn in fresh water. The roe is especially prized.

A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition DAVID A. BENDER

shad

views updated May 18 2018

shad Saltwater food fish of the herring family that swims upriver to spawn. Shads are prized for their roe. Deep-bodied, they have a notch in the upper jaw for the tip of the lower jaw. Length: to 75cm (30in). Family Clupeidae.

World Encyclopedia

shad

views updated May 18 2018

shad See CLUPEIDAE.

A Dictionary of Zoology MICHAEL ALLABY

shad

views updated Jun 08 2018

shad fish of the genus Alosa. Late OE. sċeadd, of unkn. orig.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

More From encyclopedia.com

About this article

shad

All Sources -
Updated Aug 24 2016 About encyclopedia.com content Print Topic

You Might Also Like