Sprat
/spræt/noun
A small fish of the herring family, especially one used for food or bait.
Did you know?The word first shows up in English in the 16th century, and its deeper origin is uncertain, which makes it one of those everyday words that arrived without leaving a clear paper trail.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
English
sprat
“a small fish”
Middle English
English
sprat
“a small fish or small thing”
Origin uncertain
Unknown
—
“No firmly established earlier source is agreed upon by scholars”
Modern English
English
sprat
“a small herring-like fish”