sardines
Tightly packed fish
Sardines are small, oily fish typically sold canned in oil or sauce.
They're eaten whole, bones and all.
The word also names a children's game where one person hides and others join them in the hiding spot until everyone is crammed together—packed in like sardines.
That phrase describes any crowded space: We were sardines on that subway car.
Filled to capacity
- crampedUncomfortably lacking space
- jammedUnable to move freely
- squeezedPressed firmly together
- crammedOverfilled or overstuffed
tight · compressed · congested · overcrowded · stuffed · confined · elbow-to-elbow · standing-room
Small, salty forage fish
- herringSmall silvery Atlantic fish
- mackerelSwift, oily ocean fish
- smeltOre-refining process
- spratSmall herring-family fish
pilchard · whitebait · menhaden · shad · capelin · mullet · brisling · silverside
Preserved in metal containers
- can-openerDevice for unsealing tins
- preservedKept from deterioration
- shelf-stableStorable without refrigeration
- bonelessHaving no skeleton
skinless · omega-3 · protein · snack · toast · crackers · tin · ration
Shallow water hazard
- swarmMass of moving insects
- silveryPale metallic sheen
- shimmerTremulous, wavering light
- migrationMovement to new territory
predator-prey · synchronized · darting · surface · coastal · spawning · dolphins · whales
Cooked on metal bars
- friedCooked in hot fat
- smokedExposed to wood fumes
- marinatedSoaked in flavored liquid
- escabecheVinegar-marinated fish dish
tapas · antipasto · bruschetta · puttanesca · Mediterranean · Portuguese · Sicilian · pâté
packed
Filled to capacity
crammed · tight · compressed · congested · overcrowded · stuffed · confined · elbow-to-elbow · standing-room · subway
anchovy
Small, salty forage fish
sprat · pilchard · whitebait · menhaden · shad · capelin · mullet · brisling · silverside · baitfish
tinned
Preserved in metal containers
- can-openerDevice for unsealing tins
- preservedKept from deterioration
- shelf-stableStorable without refrigeration
boneless · skinless · omega-3 · protein · snack · toast · crackers · tin · ration · convenience
shoal
Shallow water hazard
migration · predator-prey · synchronized · darting · surface · coastal · spawning · dolphins · whales · seabirds
grilled
Cooked on metal bars
escabeche · tapas · antipasto · bruschetta · puttanesca · Mediterranean · Portuguese · Sicilian · pâté · fishcakes
- fishcod, salmon, bass, perch, eels
- seafoodfish, shrimp, crab, lobster, salmon
- fish marketfishmonger, seafood counter, fish stall, fresh fish, fresh catch
- food fishcod, salmon, tilapia, halibut, snapper
- ocean fishsalmon, tuna, cod, halibut, mackerel
- ocean resourcesfish stocks, seafood, fisheries, shellfish, kelp
- packed like sardinesCrowded to maximum capacity
- sardine canMetal container for preserved fish
- grilled sardinesFlame-cooked small sea fish
- dried sardinesCured small oily fish