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sprat

Pronunciation: /sprat/
Translate sprat | into Italian
Definition of sprat

noun

  • a small marine fish of the herring family, widely caught for food and fish products.
    • Sprattus and other genera, family Clupeidae: several species, in particular S. sprattus of European inshore waters
  • any of a number of small fishes that resemble the true sprats, e.g. the sand eel.

verb (sprats, spratting, spratted)

[no object]
  • fish for sprats: they were out spratting

Phrases

a sprat to catch a mackerel

British a small outlay or risk ventured in the hope of a significant return.

Origin:

late 16th century: variant of Old English sprot, of unknown origin

sprat in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of sprat in the US English dictionary

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