n. pl. ale·wives (-wīvz′) A fish (Alosa pseudoharengus) of North American Atlantic waters and some inland lakes, which swims up rivers to spawn. [Originally North American English, probably from alteration (influenced by ALEWIFE2, because the fish's relatively big belly distinguishes it from the herring) of obsolete English aloes, allowes, a type of shad (Alosa alosa), from French alose, shad, from Old French, from Late Latin alausa, of Gaulish origin.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
n. pl. ale·wives (-wīvz′) A woman who keeps an alehouse. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.