n.
Pronunciation: ' hw ī t- ˌ b ā t, ' w ī t-
Function: noun
Date: 1758
1 : the young of any of several European herrings and especially of the common herring ( Clupea harengus ) or of the sprat ( Sprattus sprattus )
2 : any of various small fishes likened to the European whitebait and used as food