shad

noun

plural shad
: any of several fishes (especially genus Alosa) of the herring family that differ from the typical herrings (genus Clupeus) in having a relatively deep body and in being anadromous and that include some important food fishes of Europe and North America

Examples of shad in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Baitfish like shad and blueback herring begin to spawn by the thousands along shallow shoreline cover like docks and grass lines and on shallow rocky humps out in otherwise open water. Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 6 Mar. 2024 Metallic silver black, bass, metallic silver blue, silver shad, gizzard shad, and more Pros Super loud Teaser tail hook Has some weight for longer casts Cons New version not as durbale Some topwaters have a sound and action that’s all their own, and the Storm Rattlin’ Chug Bug is once such lure. Mark Modoski, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024 Locating deep bait schools like shad, mullet and even shrimp are greatly aided by using sonar effectively. Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 4 Jan. 2024 On a fishery full of shad, use shad imitating baits. Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 14 June 2023 Every spring, American shad and hickory shad leave the ocean to return to their places of birth, swimming up Atlantic tributaries from Newfoundland to Florida to spawn. John Kelly, Washington Post, 3 May 2023 While some anglers swear by chicken thighs, baitfish like shad, herring, and bream, are more popular. Pete M. Anderson, Field & Stream, 28 Sep. 2023 The agency’s post also warned anglers that juvenile silver carp look a lot like gizzard shad, which are commonly used as bait when fishing for bass and other game fish. Outdoor Life, 7 Sep. 2023 The Council got back to work and a bill amending an act regulating the shad and alewife fisheries was passed that day, Philips wrote. Martin Finucane, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shad.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English *shad, from Old English sceadd

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shad was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near shad

Cite this Entry

“Shad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shad. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shad

noun
plural shad
: any of several sea fishes that are related to the herrings, swim up rivers to lay or fertilize eggs, and include important food fishes

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