alewife

1 of 2

noun (1)

ale·​wife ˈāl-ˌwīf How to pronounce alewife (audio)
: a woman who keeps an alehouse

alewife

2 of 2

noun (2)

plural alewives ˈāl-ˌwīvz How to pronounce alewife (audio)
: a food fish (Alosa pseudoharengus) of the herring family that is very abundant along the Atlantic coast
also : any of several related fishes (such as the menhaden)

Examples of alewife in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Large numbers of huge anadromous brown trout move inshore each spring to feed on spawning smelt and alewives. — Tom Opre, Outdoor Life, 2 July 2026 But in a surprise, the populations there have adapted to alewives and other invasive species and habitat changes and have begun a recovery on their own. — Keith Matheny, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024 Illinois began stocking millions of salmon and trout species in the late 1960s in an attempt to cut down on alewives, a nuisance bait fish that salmon have taken a liking to. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 18 May 2026 The move is predicted to provide habitat for 35,000 alewives, a type of river herring common in Maine but now largely missing from the Royal. — Alfredo Sosa, Christian Science Monitor, 16 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for alewife

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

perhaps alteration of obsolete allowes, a kind of shad, from French alose shad, from Old French, from Late Latin alausa

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1633, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of alewife was in the 15th century

Rhymes for alewife

See All Rhymes for alewife

Browse Nearby Words

alevin
alewife
alexander
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Cite this Entry

“Alewife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alewife. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

alewife

noun
ale·​wife
ˈā(ə)l-ˌwīf
: a food fish that is related to the herrings and is common along the Atlantic coast of the U.S.

More from Merriam-Webster on alewife

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about alewife

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