Hypertext Webster Gateway: "sparling"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Smelt \Smelt\, n. [AS. smelt, smylt; akin to Dan. smelt.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of small silvery
salmonoid fishes of the genus {Osmerus} and allied genera,
which ascend rivers to spawn, and sometimes become
landlocked in lakes. They are esteemed as food, and have a
peculiar odor and taste.
Note: The most important species are the European smelt
({Osmerus eperlans}) (called also {eperlan},
{sparling}, and {spirling}), the Eastern American smelt
({O. mordax}), the California smelt ({O. thalichthys}),
and the surf smelt ({Hypomesus olidus}). The name is
loosely applied to various other small fishes, as the
lant, the California tomcod, the spawn eater, the
silverside.
2. Fig.: A gull; a simpleton. [Obs.] --Beau. & Fl.
{Sand smelt} (Zo["o]l.), the silverside.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Sparling \Spar"ling\, n. [Akin to G. spierling, spiering, D.
spiering: cf. F. ['e]perlan.] (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The European smelt ({Osmerus eperlanus}).
(b) A young salmon.
(c) A tern. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
sparling
n 1: common smelt of Europe [syn: {European smelt}]
2: the common smelt of Europe [syn: {European smelt}, {Osmerus
eperlanus}]
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.