Any of various small, herring-like, marine fish in the genus Sprattus, in the family Clupeidae. / (UK, slang, obsolete) A sixpence.

plural of sprat

plural of Jack Sprat

(informal) A small or skinny boy or man.

(idiomatic) To sacrifice something of little value in the hope of gaining something better.

present participle of throw a sprat to catch a mackerel

simple past tense of throw a sprat to catch a mackerel

Third-person singular simple present indicative form of throw a sprat to catch a mackerel

past participle of throw a sprat to catch a mackerel

Resembling or characteristic of a sprat.