Sparling

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Smelt \Smelt\, n. [AS. smelt, smylt; akin to Dan. smelt.]
     1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of small silvery
        salmonoid fishes of the genus {Osmerus} and allied genera,
        which ascend rivers to spawn, and sometimes become
        landlocked in lakes. They are esteemed as food, and have a
        peculiar odor and taste.


        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The most important species are the European smelt
           ({Osmerus eperlans}) (called also {eperlan},
           {sparling}, and {spirling}), the Eastern American smelt
           ({Osmerus mordax}), the California smelt ({Osmerus
           thalichthys}), and the surf smelt ({Hypomesus olidus}).
           The name is loosely applied to various other small
           fishes, as the lant, the California tomcod, the spawn
           eater, the silversides.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Fig.: A gull; a simpleton. [Obs.] --Beau. & Fl.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Sand smelt} (Zool.), the silverside.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Sparling \Spar"ling\, n. [Akin to G. spierling, spiering, D.
     spiering: cf. F. ['e]perlan.] (Zool.)
     (a) The European smelt ({Osmerus eperlanus}).
     (b) A young salmon.
     (c) A tern. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]
         [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  sparling
       n 1: common smelt of Europe [syn: {European smelt}]
       2: the common smelt of Europe [syn: {European smelt}, {Osmerus
          eperlanus}]