What does "sprat" mean?

Any of various small, herring-like, marine fish in the genus Sprattus, in the family Clupeidae.

What is a synonym for "sprat"?

Common synonyms include: baitfish, brisling, clupea sprattus, fish, herringlet, pup.

/spɹæt/ noun, verb, slang

noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·College level

Noun

1
Any of various small, herring-like, marine fish in the genus Sprattus, in the family Clupeidae.
2
small herring processed like a sardine wordnet
3
Any of various similar fish of other genera.
4
small fatty European fish; usually smoked or canned like sardines wordnet
5
Anything petty or insignificant. broadly

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6
A sixpence. UK, obsolete, slang
"The price of a case (five shillings piece bad) from the smasher is about one shilling; an alderman (two and sixpence) about sixpence; a peg (shilling) about threepence; a downer or sprat (sixpence) about twopence."

Verb

1
To manure (land) with sprats (the fish). historical, transitive
"[…] spratting the land. This treatment is supplemented by about half a ton of artificial manure, largely made up of a mixture of superphosphate and some nitrogenous manure."

"Throw a sprat to catch a whale."

From Middle English sprotte, from Old English sprot. Older source is unknown. Cognate with German Sprotte, Dutch sprot. Compare sprout.