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Alewife

 - 4 dictionary results

ale⋅wife

1  [eyl-wahyf]
Use Alewife in a Sentence
–noun, plural -wives.
a North American fish, Alosa pseudoharengus, resembling a small shad.
Origin:
1625–35, Americanism; earlier allowes, perh. influenced by alewife 2 , prob. < F alose shad < Gallo-Latin alausa

ale⋅wife

2  [eyl-wahyf]
–noun, plural -wives.
a woman who owns or operates an alehouse.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME; see ale, wife
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Alewife
ale·wife 1   (āl'wīf')   
n.   pl. ale·wives (-wīvz')
A fish (Alosa pseudoharengus) closely related to the herrings and native to North American Atlantic waters and some inland lakes.

[Probably alteration (influenced by alewife2) of obsolete allowes, a type of shad, from French alose, shad, from Old French, from Late Latin alausa.]
ale·wife 2   (āl'wīf')   
n.   pl. ale·wives (-wīvz')
A woman who keeps an alehouse.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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