Standard Lemma guide

menhaden

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /mɛn.heɪ.d(ə)n/
  • rhymes with -eɪdən
  • CMU ARPABET: M EH0 N HH EY1 D AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of several species of fish in the genera Brevoortia and Ethmidium, used for fish meal, fish oil, fertilizer, and bait.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bunker, mossbanker, mossbunker, mossyback, pauhagen, poghaden

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

shad-like North American marine fishes used for fish meal and oil and fertilizer

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Brevoortia tyrannis

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: clupeid fish, clupeid

History

Etymology

From Narragansett munnawhatteaug (“they fertilize”), influenced by poghaden.

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 步魚 /步鱼 (bùyú) — fish of the genera Brevoortia or Ethmidium
  • Chinese Mandarin: 鯡魚 /鲱鱼 (fēiyú) — fish of the genera Brevoortia or Ethmidium
  • Finnish: menhaden — fish of the genera Brevoortia or Ethmidium
  • Polish: menhaden — fish of the genera Brevoortia or Ethmidium