A type of small herring or fish found in North American waters, also called an alewife, valued as both food and bait.
From French Canadian French gaspé (from Gaspésie, a region in Quebec) combined with French -eau (water suffix). Named after the Gaspé Peninsula where it was caught.
Gaspereau comes directly from Canadian geography—the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec has such abundant herring populations that locals named the fish after their home region, showing how regional species get regional names.
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