pilchard UK /ˈpɪl.tʃəd/US /ˈpɪl.t͡ʃɚd/ noun2 •Any of various small oily fish that are, or are related to, herrings, in the family Clupeidae.He longs occasionally for human diet, His old Athenian fare: pilchards, for instance. — 1839 •Sardina pilchardus. formspilchards