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smelt
smelt common name for a small, slender fish of the family Osmeridae, closely allied to the grayling of the family Salmonidae ( salmon family). Most species are marine, but some ascend freshwater streams to spawn and others are landlocked in lakes. The American smelt (or icefish), Osmerus mordax, averages 10 in. (25 cm) in length and 1 lb (.45 kg) in weight. It is valued for its delicious, fragrant flesh, although its feeding habits are destructive and sometimes cannibalistic. The candlefish (or eulachon), a smelt found from Oregon to Alaska, is named for the fact that it is so fat at spawning time that when dried and strung on a wick it can be burned as a primitive candle. In Alaska and NE Asia are found the northwestern smelt (or rainbow herring) and the pond smelt. The top smelt, Atherinops affinis, and jack smelt are Pacific silversides of the family Atherinidae, which belong to a different order. The deep-sea smelts, family Bathylagidae, are closely related to the true smelts. Deep-sea and true smelts are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Osteichthyes, order Clupeiformes, families Bathylagidae and Osmeridae, respectively. |
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"smelt." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "smelt." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-smelt.html "smelt." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-smelt.html |
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smelt
smelt1 / smelt/ • v. [tr.] [often as n.] (smelting) extract (metal) from its ore by a process involving heating and melting: tin smelting. ∎ extract a metal from (ore) in this way. smelt2 • past and past participle of smell. smelt3 • n. (pl. same or smelts / smelts/ ) a small silvery food fish (family Osmeridae, Osmerus and other genera) that lives in both marine and fresh water and is sometimes fished commercially. |
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"smelt." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "smelt." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-smelt.html "smelt." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-smelt.html |
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smelt
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"smelt." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "smelt." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-smelt.html "smelt." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-smelt.html |
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smelt
smelt2 fuse (ore) to obtain the metal. XV (implied in smelter). — MLG., MDu. smelten = OHG. smelzan (G. schmelzen), f. *smelt-, var. of the base of MELT.
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T. F. HOAD. "smelt." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "smelt." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-smelt1.html T. F. HOAD. "smelt." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-smelt1.html |
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smelt
smelt1 small fish of the genus Osmerus. OE. smelt, smylt, obscurely rel. to similar Continental names for species of fish; cf. SMOLT.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "smelt." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "smelt." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-smelt.html T. F. HOAD. "smelt." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-smelt.html |
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smelt
smelt Small oily fish, Osmerus spp.
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DAVID A. BENDER. "smelt." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DAVID A. BENDER. "smelt." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-smelt.html DAVID A. BENDER. "smelt." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-smelt.html |
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smelt
smelt See OSMERIDAE.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "smelt." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "smelt." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-smelt.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "smelt." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-smelt.html |
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smelt
smelt
•gestalt • asphalt
•belt, Celt, dealt, dwelt, felt, gelt, knelt, melt, misdealt, pelt, Scheldt, smelt, spelt, svelte, veld, welt
•fan belt • seat belt • lifebelt • sunbelt
•rust belt • Copperbelt • heartfelt
•underfelt • backveld • bushveld
•Roosevelt
•atilt, built, gilt, guilt, hilt, jilt, kilt, lilt, quilt, silt, spilt, stilt, tilt, upbuilt, wilt
•Vanderbilt • volte
•assault, Balt, exalt, fault, halt, malt, salt, smalt, vault
•cobalt • stringhalt • basalt
•somersault • polevault
•bolt, colt, dolt, holt, jolt, moult (US molt), poult, smolt, volt
•deadbolt • Humboldt • thunderbolt
•megavolt • spoilt • Iseult
•consult, cult, exult, indult, insult, penult, result, ult
•adult • occult • tumult • catapult
•difficult • Hasselt
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"smelt." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "smelt." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-smelt.html "smelt." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-smelt.html |
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