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Definition of menhaden

menhaden

/mɛnˈheɪ.dən/
men · ha · den
Plural:menhaden
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menhaden Lexical Profile

menhaden Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

North American A marine fish of the herring family (genus Brevoortia), native to the western Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, harvested extensively for fish meal, fish oil, and bait rather than for direct human consumption.

Example

"The commercial fleet harvested thousands of tons of menhaden to be processed into nutrient-rich agricultural fertilizer and supplements."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for menhaden

• Rhymes for menhaden

• Nearby Words

mending
mendoza
menfolk
menhaden
menhir
menial
menially

Word Origin & Etymology

Derived from the Algonquian language, specifically the Narragansett word 'munnawhatteaug', meaning 'that which enriches the earth' or 'fertilizer', as Native Americans historically used the fish to fertilize their corn crops.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Menhaden. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/menhaden
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