pilchard

P3I1L1C3H4A1R1D2
UK/ˈpɪl.tʃəd/US/ˈpɪl.t͡ʃɚd/

noun

Any of various small oily fish that are, or are related to, herrings, in the family Clupeidae.

Similar
sardineSardina pilchardus
UncommonScrabble 16
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Meanings

nounpilchard (plural pilchard or pilchards)

plural pilchards

  1. Any of various small oily fish that are, or are related to, herrings, in the family Clupeidae.

    1839, John Hookham Frere (translator), The Birds, lines 76–77, in Acharnians and two other plays He longs occasionally for human diet, His old Athenian fare: pilchards, for instance.

    Synonyms: sardine

    1. oftenspecificallySardina pilchardus.

      Synonyms: sardine

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAny of various small oily fish that are, or are related to, herrings, in the family Clupeidae.

Similar
sardine

nounSardina pilchardus.

Similar
sardine

More synonyms by meaning

nounsmall fatty fish usually canned

Similar
sardine
Broader
saltwater fish

nounsmall fishes found in great schools along coasts of Europe; smaller and rounder than herring

Similar
sardineSardina pilchardus
Broader
clupeid fishclupeid
Also see
sardine

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From earlier pilcher, adapted to the suffix -ard. Further etymology unknown. Compare Dutch pelser.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek σαρδίνη
  • σαρδίνη (sardínē)a cigar-shaped fish with a short dorsal fin and forked tail
Bulgarian сардела
  • сардела (sardela)a cigar-shaped fish with a short dorsal fin and forked tail
Finnish sardiini
  • sardiinia cigar-shaped fish with a short dorsal fin and forked tail
French pilchard
  • pilcharda cigar-shaped fish with a short dorsal fin and forked tail
German Sardine
  • Sardinea cigar-shaped fish with a short dorsal fin and forked tail
Hungarian szardínia
  • szardíniaa cigar-shaped fish with a short dorsal fin and forked tail
Irish pilséar
  • pilséara cigar-shaped fish with a short dorsal fin and forked tail
Māori mohimohi, mohi
  • mohimohia cigar-shaped fish with a short dorsal fin and forked tail
  • mohia cigar-shaped fish with a short dorsal fin and forked tail
Turkish sardina, sardalya
  • sardinaa cigar-shaped fish with a short dorsal fin and forked tail
  • sardalyaa cigar-shaped fish with a short dorsal fin and forked tail
Welsh pennog Mair
  • pennog Maira cigar-shaped fish with a short dorsal fin and forked tail
Cite this entry
APA

pilchard. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pilchard

MLA

“pilchard.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pilchard. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pilchard,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pilchard.

Source: pilchard on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.