menhaden

noun

men·​ha·​den men-ˈhā-dᵊn 

mən-

plural menhaden also menhadens

: a marine fish (Brevoortia tyrannus) of the herring family abundant along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. where it is used for bait or converted into oil and fertilizer

also : any of several congeneric fishes

Examples of menhaden in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Image The book raised awareness of the commercial overfishing of menhaden for fertilizer and animal feed, which led the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission in 2012 to impose the first catch limits ever. —Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 7 June 2024

But bringing mesopelagic species into the lab to study this in more granular detail, the way Cook is doing with menhaden, remains a challenge. —WIRED, 9 Dec. 2023

But only oysters can uniquely serve the Bay through their natural reef architecture, bracing shorelines from wave energy, and sheltering small aquatic life including crabs and juvenile fish of more than 300 species, like American eel, Atlantic croaker, Bluefish, striped bass, and Atlantic menhaden. —Louise Schiavone, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024

Yellowfin Tuna Fishing: Tips and Tactics Chunk fishing with menhaden, blue runners, mullet, or ladyfish works for the smaller blackfin tuna and yellowfin in the 30 to 50-pound range, but slow trolling live bait tends to deliver bigger bites. —David A. Brown, Field & Stream, 7 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

of Algonquian origin; akin to Narragansett munnawhatteaûg menhaden

First Known Use

1765, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

menhaden

noun

men·​ha·​den men-ˈhād-ᵊn 

mən-

plural menhaden also menhadens

: a fish of the Atlantic coast of the U.S. that is related to the herring and is a source of oil and fertilizer