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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Shad \Shad\ (sh[a^]d), noun sing. & pl. [AS. sceadda a kind of fish, akin to Prov. G. schade; cf. Ir. & Gael. sgadan a herring, W. ysgadan herrings; all perhaps akin to E. skate a fish.] (Zo["o]l.) Any one of several species of food fishes of the Herring family. The American species ({Alosa sapidissima} formerly {Clupea sapidissima}), which is abundant on the Atlantic coast and ascends the larger rivers in spring to spawn, is an important market fish. The European allice shad, or alose ({Alosa alosa} formerly {Clupea alosa}), and the twaite shad ({Alosa finta} formerly {Clupea finta}), are less important species. [Written also {chad}.]
Note: The name is loosely applied, also, to several other fishes, as the gizzard shad (see under {Gizzard}), called also {mud shad}, {white-eyed shad}, and {winter shad}.
{Hardboaded shad}, or {Yellow-tailed shad}, the menhaden.
{Hickory shad}, or {Tailor shad}, the {mattowacca}.
{Long-boned shad}, one of several species of important food fishes of the Bermudas and the West Indies, of the genus {Gerres}.
{Shad bush} (Bot.), a name given to the North American shrubs or small trees of the rosaceous genus {Amelanchier} ({A. Canadensis}, and {A. alnifolia}) Their white racemose blossoms open in April or May, when the shad appear, and the edible berries (pomes) ripen in June or July, whence they are called Juneberries. The plant is also called {service tree}, and {Juneberry}.
{Shad frog}, an American spotted frog ({Rana halecina}); -- so called because it usually appears at the time when the shad begin to run in the rivers.
{Trout shad}, the squeteague.
{White shad}, the common shad.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
shad
noun
1: bony flesh of herring-like fish usually caught during their migration to fresh water for spawning; especially of Atlantic coast
2: herring-like food fishes that migrate from the sea to freshwater to spawn
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