herring-like fish of North America, 1630s, named from the word for female tavern keepers (late 14c.), from ale + wife; the fish so called in reference to its large abdomen.

One of the most popular members of the herring family, the alewife is anadromous (it spawns in fresh water). This fish provides high:fat flesh with a fine, soft, texture.

(n) flesh of shad-like fish abundant along the Atlantic coast or in coastal streams(n) shad-like food fish that runs rivers to spawn; often salted or smoked; sometimes placed in genus Pomolobus

a food fish of the herring family that is very abundant on the Atlantic coast; the alewife entered the Great Lakes through the Welland Canal in the 1940s and frequently die-off in large numbers becaus [..]

A woman who keeps an alehouse. Origin: This word is properly aloof, the Indian name of a fish. <zoology> A North American fish (Clupea vernalis) of the Herring family. It is called also ellwife, ellwhop, branch herring. The name is locally applied to other related species. (01 Mar 1998)

a food fish of the herring family that is very abundant on the Atlantic coast; the alewife entered the Great Lakes through the Welland Canal in the 1940s and frequently die-off in large numbers because they are not well adapted to life in freshwater. See also: Alewife, Alosa pseudoharengus

(archaic) A woman who keeps an alehouse.