garvie Sc.
(ˈgarvɪ)
Also 7 garvine, 8 garvock.
[Origin uncertain. The form garvock is app. = Gael. garbhag, but the latter may be from Sc. The earliest quots. give garvie-fishes (see 2).]
1. A sprat.
| 1742 De Foe's Tour Gt. Brit. IV. 9, Soles, Flukes, Garvie, Eels are also caught on the Scotish Coasts in great Plenty. 1793 Statist. Acc. Scotl. VIII. 597 They are often very successful in taking the smaller fish, such as herrings, garvies or sprats, sparlings or smelts. 1794 Ibid. IX. 609 The fish caught on this coast are herrings, and garvocks or sprats. 1885 J. G. Bertram Harvest of Sea 56 The pilchard..ought to be the Sardinia of commerce, but its place is usurped by the sprat, or garvie as we call it in Scotland. |
2. attrib. and Comb., as garvie-fish, garvie-fishery, garvie-fishing; garvie-herring (Ogilvie) = sense 1.
| 1680 Sir G. Mackenzie Sci. Her. 61 Three Fishes called Garvine-fishes. 1681 S. Colvil Whigs Supplic. (1751) 16 When men eat roasted hens and veal, And those at Forth eat Garvie fishes. 1870 Pall Mall G. 19 Apr., The fishermen themselves had rather a prejudice against garvie fishing. 1881 in Fife Jrnl. 13 Jan. 5/5 During a good season it is estimated that the ‘garvie fishery’ of the Forth yields {pstlg}10,000. |