What does anchovy mean?
An anchovy is a small, slender sea fish belonging to the herring family, native to the Mediterranean and other temperate waters. Though tiny — typically only a few inches long — the anchovy occupies an outsized place in world cuisine because of its intensely savory, salty flavor. Anchovies are rarely eaten fresh; instead they are cured in salt or packed in oil, which concentrates their taste into a powerful seasoning. Cooks use them to deepen sauces, dressings, and stews, most famously in Caesar salad dressing, Worcestershire sauce, and classic Italian pasta dishes. The word functions primarily as a noun, referring both to the fish itself and to its prepared flesh. Because their flavor is so assertive, anchovies tend to polarize diners, making the word a byword for bold, briny taste in everyday speech.
nounA small, silvery-green marine fish of the herring family (genus Engraulis), caught in the Mediterranean and elsewhere and usually eaten salted, cured, or packed in oil; also, a piece of this fish prepared as food.
- The small marine fish of the herring family, genus Engraulis, found in the Mediterranean and other warm seas
- The flesh of this fish, especially when cured, salted, or packed in oil, used as a pungent flavoring in cooking
"The Caesar dressing gets its savory depth from a few mashed anchovies."
"She topped the pizza with capers and anchovies."
"A little anchovy dissolved into the stew adds depth without tasting fishy."
Standard English plural; used when referring to multiple individual fish or fillets. When speaking of the ingredient generally, it may be treated as a mass noun ('a hint of anchovy').
"The antipasto platter was garnished with olives, peppers, and anchovies."
A single anchovy can season an entire pot of sauce — ancient Romans prized it so highly they fermented it into garum, a fish sauce they poured on almost everything.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anchovy
The word 'anchovy' entered English in the late 16th century, borrowed either directly from Spanish 'anchoa' or through Portuguese 'anchova', which themselves trace back ultimately to a Genoese Italian dialect form related to Latin 'apua' meaning a small fish. It has cognates across Romance languages, including Italian 'acciuga' and French 'anchois'. The fish itself was prized since antiquity — Romans fermented it into garum — but the word only arrived in English alongside Mediterranean trade and cuisine in the Elizabethan era.
How anchovy is actually used
Usually treated as a mass noun when referring to the prepared fish as food ('a lot of anchovy'), though the plural 'anchovies' is common when referring to individual fish or fillets on dishes like pizzas. The word is neutral in register but carries strong culinary connotations — anchovies are famously divisive, beloved by some cooks and reviled by others for their intense saltiness.
Easily confused with anchovy
Sardines are larger pilchards typically canned whole, while anchovies are much smaller fish that are heavily salted or cured and used as an intense flavoring.