Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A small, herringlike marine fish of the family Engraulidae, especially the European fish (Engraulis encrasicholus), widely used in appetizers and various dishes.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. An abdominal malacopterygious fish, of the genus Stolephorus or Engraulis, family Stolephoridæ. The species are all of diminutive size, and inhabitants of most tropical and temperate seas. Only one species, S. encrasicholus, is known upon the European coasts, but fifteen approach those of the United States. The common anchovy of Europe, S. encrasicholus, esteemed for its rich and peculiar flavor, is not much larger than the middle finger. It is caught in vast numbers in the Mediterranean, and pickled for exportation. A sauce held in much esteem is made from anchovies by pounding them in water, simmering the mixture for a short time, adding a little cayenne pepper, and straining the whole through a hair sieve.
Wiktionary
- n. Any small saltwater fish of the Engraulidae family, consisting of 160 species in 16 genera, of which the genus Engraulis is widely sold as food.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. (Zoöl.) A small fish, about three inches in length, of the Herring family (Engraulis encrasicholus), caught in vast numbers in the Mediterranean, and pickled for exportation. The name is also applied to several allied species.
WordNet 3.0
- n. tiny fishes usually canned or salted; used for hors d'oeuvres or as seasoning in sauces
- n. small herring-like plankton-eating fishes often canned whole or as paste; abundant in tropical waters worldwide
Etymologies
- From Spanish anchova, perhaps ultimately from Basque. (Wiktionary)
- Spanish anchova, possibly from Vulgar Latin *apiuva, ultimately from Greek aphuē. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“It is sold in little glass vials, sometimes under the label anchovy extract or syrup, whose instructions advise you to toss it with pasta, garlic, red pepper, and olive oil.”
“You can always saute the crumbs with butter (adding a bit of minced garlic or anchovy is also good) if you want further toasting before using them as a pasta or casserole topping or whatever.”
“Their target is the larger "industrial" vessels, after a "vertiginous fall" in anchovy catches in the Bay of Biscay.”
“This was known as the anchovy, but oftener as the candle-fish; it is so fat that it may be burned like a torch, or candle.”
First Across the Continent; The Story of The Exploring Expedition of Lewis and Clark in 1804-5-6
“Boquerones are a kind of anchovy, usually served in vinegar rather than oil, but this is not quite the way to say it.”
“For example, the blooms of jellyfish that have increased rapidly worldwide in the last decade are believed to result in part from “fishing down the food web” – as fisheries depleted large predators they turned to smaller, plankton-feeding fishes such as anchovy and sprat, whose removal allowed zooplankton populations to increase, providing abundant food for jellyfish.”
“DRM doesn't work and consumers don't want it, so of course it's very appealing to big business, who are also in a big rush to sell other, equally practical products, such as anchovy flavored ice cream and bicycles with square wheels.”
“Zests are sometimes served at the close of the dessert; such as anchovy toasts or biscuits.”
“Raising these species is an exercise in "reducing" fish to produce fish-that is, in turning certain fish, usually smaller species such as anchovy, herring, capelin, and whiting, into feed for other, typically larger, species.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘anchovy’.
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fish list
lots and lots of fish, a piscatorial
wetdreamablet, agnathan, ahi, ahuru, ahuruhuru, albacore, albicore, alec, alewife, allice, allis, amberjack and 840 more...
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11250 more...
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IMCO - EU nomenclature
includes words of the "Prodcom list"
abaca, abdominal, abrasive, absorbent, absorber, accelerator, accessory, account book, accumulator, acebutolol, acetaldehyde, acetamide and 4515 more...
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PECH - marine species
African cuttlefish, Alaska plaice, Alaska pollock, Alaska pollack, walleye pollock, alewife, gaspereau, river herring, sawbelly, allis shad, American angler, goosefish and 994 more...
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food collection
bread, peel, pot, chorizo, Filet, olive, fill, Phyllo, dough, bake, mat, pinot and 988 more...
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Things from my memory
nigger baby, mexican jumping bean, puddle jumper, mood ring, pet rock, cat scratch fever, taxman, hippie, vaseline, argyrol, mercurchrome, methiolade and 655 more...
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spoon
being items relating to food, cooking and the kitchen.
spoon, fork, beef, slice, dozen, eggs, simmer, broil, salad, soup, stock, lard and 287 more...
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Spelling Bee list 2011
Abalone, ablution, absolution, aboriginally, abstemious, academician, acclamation, accommodation, acculturation, acetic, acetone, acme and 590 more...
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1906 Railway Cipher Code
Terms from the Standard Cipher Code of the American Railway Association, 1906. The terms were shorthand for common phrases used in telegraphic communications between station agents and Railway Asso...
abdominal, abetting, abiology, ablative, abnormal, abominate, aboveboard, abrasive, absinth, abstinent, accursed, acetate and 212 more...
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5-0
Hecko, words! I’m so happy I’ve found you. I want to keep you all and never want to lose you again. I hope you like it here.
amscray, thistledown, tine, tinsel, pungent, snarl, wail, lanky, viscid, dawdle, luminous, stow and 2719 more...
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Henry's Favorite Song
being sorts of Fish
fish, walleye, bass, catfish, carp, pike, sunfish, cod, monkfish, salmon, tuna, shark and 59 more...
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Words I Love
moist, awkward, phantasmagoria, smarmy, faux, equestrian, zamboni, nub, seltzer, swagger, foci, connote and 62 more...
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Factual
Bovril, grit, croquette, denizen, symbiosis, alimony, parasol, ajwain, sherbet, feline, billet-doux, regicide and 72 more...
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Spanish Spelling Bee List
i am still copying down lists but i am in the 5th grade and got fourth in the spelling bee out of 26 people, the word i missed was candelabra, well next year i will win because now i know the words
burrito, gazpacho, alligator, chinchilla, pueblo, quesadilla, flamenco, cabana, filibuster, cilantro, mesa, cafeteria and 60 more...
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OM1 Lesson 6
missing, concert, purse, find, key, everywhere, could, embarrassed, envelope, thought, realize, everything and 11 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for anchovy.

hernesheir Railroad telegraphers' shorthand for "Can it be altered?" --US Railway Association, Standard Cipher Code, 1906. Jan 19, 2013
hernesheir Who knows how to plait a hair-sieve these days? Jan 5, 2012
ruzuzu Wanted: Long-haired anchovy lover for evening of fish pounding and mixture simmering. Must like cayenne pepper. Jan 5, 2012
yarb I'd just throw up a craigslist ad. I bet there are more long-haired anchovy lovers in your town than you think. I'd offer my own hair - I'm due to have my ears lowered - but the quantity would only suffice for a thimble-sized sieve, and thus for a ramekin's worth of the fishy elixir. Jan 5, 2012
ruzuzu I'm trying to imagine how I'd start that particular conversation. Any advice? Jan 5, 2012
yarb Then you should make one of those, too. You must know somebody who needs a haircut. Offer to let them have some of the anchovy sauce if they donate their locks. Jan 5, 2012
ruzuzu I would, of course, except I'm fresh out of hair sieves. Jan 5, 2012
yarb That sounds horrible. You should make it, ruzuzu. Jan 5, 2012
ruzuzu I like this bit from the Century: "A sauce held in much esteem is made from anchovies by pounding them in water, simmering the mixture for a short time, adding a little cayenne pepper, and straining the whole through a hair sieve."
Jan 5, 2012