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menhaden

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(men hād′'n)

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noun pl. menhaden or menhadens

any of a genus (Brevoortia) of clupeid fishes of the W Atlantic, used for bait or for making oil and fertilizer

Origin: < AmInd (Algonquian) name: orig. sense prob. “fertilizer”

See menhaden in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. menhaden menhaden or men·ha·dens

Any of several species of fish of the genus Brevoortia, especially B. tyrannus of American Atlantic and Gulf waters, used as a source of fish oil, fertilizer, and bait. Also called mossbunker, pogy.

Origin:

Origin: Probably blend of Narragansett munnawhatteaûg, a herring-like fish

Origin: ; akin to munnohquohteau, he enriches the land (from its use as a fertilizer)

Origin: and English dialectal poghaden (probably of Algonquian origin)

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