Sardine

/sɑːˈdiːn/ adj, noun, verb

adj, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·College level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: Any one of several species of small herring which are commonly preserved in olive oil or in tins for food, especially the pilchard, or European sardine (Sardina pilchardus, syn. Clupea pilchardus). The American sardines of the Atlantic coast are mostly the young of the Atlantic herring and of the menhaden.
  • Grammar: sardine is listed as adj, noun, verb.
  • Nearest alternatives: pilchard, crowded person, fish, packed person.
  • Usage evidence: I'm on my way to the fish market. What would you like for lunch? Mackerel or sardine?

How to use "sardine"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sardine" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • 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 "sardine" 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

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sardine" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sardine" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "sardine" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "pilchard" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "sardine", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Any one of several species of small herring which are commonly preserved in olive oil or in tins for food, especially the pilchard, or European sardine (Sardina pilchardus, syn. Clupea pilchardus). The American sardines of the Atlantic coast are mostly the young of the Atlantic herring and of the menhaden.

    "They feasted on premium sardines packed in olive oil, as did their hunting dogs, who insisted on joining the meal."

  2. 2
    carnelian. obsolete
  3. 3
    A member of the Italian grassroots political movement organized to protest against the right-wing surge in the country and the political rhetoric of Matteo Salvini.

    "A new grassroots movement called ‘sardines’ is fighting against Italy's rightwing strongman Matteo Salvini across the nation after a spectacular launch in Bologna last week."

  4. 4
    any of various small edible herring or related food fishes frequently canned wordnet
  5. 5
    Someone packed or crammed into a small space. figuratively

    "They watched bemused as countless sardines disgorged from a railway car that was never designed to hold so many passengers."

Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    Dark-brown sard.
  2. 7
    small fishes found in great schools along coasts of Europe; smaller and rounder than herring wordnet
  3. 8
    small fatty fish usually canned wordnet
  4. 9
    a deep orange-red variety of chalcedony wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    to fish for sardines

    "No one on Monhegan says they saw them, but a man sardining says he saw it headed there, or at least some boat with people atop it."

  2. 2
    to pack or cram together tightly.

    "Six-foot- four McMichael (a past master at the art of sardining) not only crammed enough clothes for the trip into the mighty midget, but carried a full set of golf clubs and a banjo, as well!"

Adjective
  1. 1
    Characteristic of a sardius.

    "And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald."

Synonyms

All synonyms
pilchardcrowded personfishpacked personsardsardina pilchardus

Example

"I'm on my way to the fish market. What would you like for lunch? Mackerel or sardine?"

Common questions

What does "sardine" mean?

Any one of several species of small herring which are commonly preserved in olive oil or in tins for food, especially the pilchard, or European sardine (Sardina pilchardus, syn. Clupea pilchardus). The American sardines of the Atlantic coast are mostly the young of the Atlantic herring and of the menhaden.

What is a synonym for "sardine"?

Common synonyms include: pilchard, crowded person, fish, packed person, sard, sardina pilchardus.

How do you use "sardine" in a sentence?

I'm on my way to the fish market. What would you like for lunch? Mackerel or sardine?

How do you pronounce "sardine"?

Pronounced /sɑːˈdiːn/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

Borrowed from French sardine (cognate with Spanish sardina, Italian sardina), Latin sardīna; from Ancient Greek σαρδίνη (sardínē).

Etymology 2

Pliny states that its name was ultimately derived from Sardis, in Lydia, where the sard was first discovered; but probably ultimately derived from Persian sered ("yellowish-red").

Etymology 3

From the way protesters are tightly packed into public spaces, analogous to the way sardines are packed into cans.

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