What does "alewife" mean?
A woman who keeps an alehouse.
Alewife
/ˈeɪlˌwaɪf/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A woman who keeps an alehouse.
- Grammar: alewife is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: alehouse keeper, alosa pseudoharengus, brewer, fish.
- Useful contrasts: customer, landlocked fish, nonmigratory fish.
- Usage evidence: In his System of Nature, A. D. 1776, Linnæus declares, “I hereby separate the whales from the fish.” But of my own knowledge, I know that down to the year 1850, sharks and shad, alewives and herring, against Linnæus’s express edict, were still found dividing the possession of the same seas with the Leviathan.
How to use "alewife"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "alewife" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
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- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "alewife" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "alewife" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
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3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 A woman who keeps an alehouse. archaic
- 2 A migrating North American fish, Alosa pseudoharengus.
"In his System of Nature, A. D. 1776, Linnæus declares, “I hereby separate the whales from the fish.” But of my own knowledge, I know that down to the year 1850, sharks and shad, alewives and herring, against Linnæus’s express edict, were still found dividing the possession of the same seas with the Leviathan."
- 3 shad-like food fish that runs rivers to spawn; often salted or smoked; sometimes placed in genus Pomolobus wordnet
- 4 Any of several species similar in appearance.
- 5 flesh of shad-like fish abundant along the Atlantic coast or in coastal streams wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"In his System of Nature, A. D. 1776, Linnæus declares, “I hereby separate the whales from the fish.” But of my own knowledge, I know that down to the year 1850, sharks and shad, alewives and herring, against Linnæus’s express edict, were still found dividing the possession of the same seas with the Leviathan."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "alewife"?
Common synonyms include: alehouse keeper, alosa pseudoharengus, brewer, fish, herring, innkeeper.
How do you use "alewife" in a sentence?
In his System of Nature, A. D. 1776, Linnæus declares, “I hereby separate the whales from the fish.” But of my own knowledge, I know that down to the year 1850, sharks and shad, alewives and herring, against Linnæus’s express edict, were still found dividing the possession of the same seas with the Leviathan.
How do you pronounce "alewife"?
Pronounced /ˈeɪlˌwaɪf/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From ale + wife.
Etymology 2
Unknown. Possibly from aloof, the Narragansett name of a fish. See Winthrop on the culture of maize in America, “Phil Trans.” No. 142, p. 1065, and Baddam’s “Memoirs,” vol. ii. p. 131. Possibly from allowes (“a type of shad”), from French alose (“shad”), from Old French [Term?], from Late Latin alausa, influenced by Etymology 1 due to large belly of the fish.