n.
Pronunciation: men- ' h ā -d ə n, m ə n-
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -den also -dens
Etymology: of Algonquian origin; akin to Narragansett munnawhatteaûg menhaden
Date: 1765
: a marine fish ( Brevoortia tyrannus ) of the herring family abundant along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. where it is used for bait or converted into oil and fertilizer also : any of several congeneric fishes