[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/sardine.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / sardine

[← S](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/S/)

# sardine

«sardine» in Mova's school dictionary: **a small, silvery sea fish, often eaten from a tin** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 4 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a sardine, sardines)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A sardine is a small, silvery sea fish, often eaten from a tin. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sardine/#m1)

2) (idiom) «Packed like sardines» means squashed very tightly together. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sardine/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In everyday life sardines come in tins, on toast. In science they swim in big shoals and are food for bigger animals. «Sardines» is also a children's hide-and-seek game where everyone squeezes into the hiding place. Phrases: «a tin of sardines», «packed like sardines».

### examples

- We had sardines on toast for tea. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sardine/#x1)
- The bus was full; we were packed like sardines. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sardine/#x2)
- Dolphins chase shoals of sardines. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sardine/#x3)
- A tin holds 6 sardines; how many in 4 tins? (24) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sardine/#x4)
- At the party we played sardines. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sardine/#x5)
- Sardines are oily fish and are good for you. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sardine/#x6)
- In fact the wagon was so closely packed with boys of all ages that it looked like a box of sardines. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sardine/#x7)

### note

Countable: a sardine, sardines. «Sardines» is also the name of a game (no article: «play sardines»).

### In the corpora

- [In the locker: «biscuits, potted lobster, sardines».](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/30-willows-ch2-part2-the-canary-coloured-cart/30/)
- [He has spotted a sardine-opener — so there must be sardines somewhere.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/43-willows-ch5-part3-sardines-and-carol-singers/8/)
- [They hunt and find sardines, biscuits and a sausage.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/43-willows-ch5-part3-sardines-and-carol-singers/9/)
- [Dietitians suggest eating oily fish, such as salmon or sardines, about once a week.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/22-mums-vitamin-and-cod-liver-oil/11/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «sardine» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sardine/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.