noun
sardine
sah-DEEN
noun
1
A small, oily fish, often canned in oil, related to the herring family.
"He had sardines on toast for a quick lunch."
"The tin of sardines had been sitting in the cupboard for months."
2
Informally, a person tightly packed among others in a small space.
"We were squeezed onto the train like sardines during rush hour."
How to Use Sardine
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small canned fish, or a way of describing people crammed tightly together.
Common pairings
tin of sardines
packed like sardines
canned sardines
Word Forms
more sardine comparative, sardined past tense, sardines plural, sardines plural, Sardines plural, sardines singular, most sardine superlative
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “sardine”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
He had _____ on toast for a quick lunch.
Etymology
From French "sardine," from Latin "sardina," from Ancient Greek "sardine" — possibly named after the island of Sardinia, where the fish was once abundant.