Anchovy

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈæn.tʃə.vi/, /ˈæn.tʃəʊ.vi/
• GenAm IPA: /ˈæn.tʃoÊŠ.vi/

Origin

From Spanish anchova, from Genoese Ligurian anchua anchova or perhaps from a similar Corsican term. The term's ultimate origin is unclear; some suggest it may have derived from an unattested Vulgar Latin term *apiuva, from Latin aphye, from Ancient Greek ἀφύη; others suggest it comes from Basque antxu, anchu ("dried fish"), from anchuva ("dry"),

Etymonline

if that Basque term is not itself derived from Latin via some intermediary.

Robert Lawrence Trask, The History of Basque

Full definition of anchovy

Noun

1. Any small saltwater fish of the Engraulidae family, consisting of 160 species in 16 genera, of which the genus is widely sold as food.