sprat

Any of various small marine food fishes of the genus Sprattus, especially S. sprattus of the northeast Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas, eaten fresh or smoked and often canned as a sardine.

Any of various other fishes of the family Clupeidae, such as a young herring.

A name of various species of rushes, as Juncus articulatus, etc.

plural Small wood.

A small clupeoid fish of European waters, Clupea (Harengula) sprattus.

A name of other fishes

To fish for sprats.

A small coin.

Same as thread-herring.

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.