Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sprat

/spɹæt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.98 in modern English

Syllables: sprat
IPA: /spɹæt/

7

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any of various small, herring-like, marine fish in the genus Sprattus, in the family Clupeidae.

noun

Any of various similar fish of other genera.

noun

Anything petty or insignificant.

noun

British usage; Obsolete; Slang

verb

To manure (land) with sprats (the fish).

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"The price of a case (five shillings piece bad) from the smasher is about one shilling; an alderman (two and sixpence) about sixpence; a peg (shilling) about threepence; a downer or sprat (sixpence) about twopence."
"[…] spratting the land. This treatment is supplemented by about half a ton of artificial manure, largely made up of a mixture of superphosphate and some nitrogenous manure."

Etymology

From Middle English sprotte, from Old English sprot. Older source is unknown. Cognate with German Sprotte, Dutch sprot. Compare sprout.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: sprotte, sprot

Usage

Inflected Forms

sprats (plural) sprats (present, singular) spratting (participle, present) spratted (participle, past) spratted (past)

Derived Forms

spratlike spratter

Phrases

a sprat to catch a mackerel throw a sprat to catch a mackerel European sprat slender sprat

Frequently Paired Words

spratting pilchard sardine

Synonyms

brisling clupea sprattus

Rhymes With

that at fat cat big cat flat sat chat combat matt hat old hat

Questions

How do you pronounce sprat?: The recorded pronunciation is /spɹæt/.
What does sprat mean?: Any of various small, herring-like, marine fish in the genus Sprattus, in the family Clupeidae.
Where does sprat come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce sprat

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “sprat”.
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