local. Forms: 7 tweat, thwait, 9 twayt, thwaite, 8– twait, twaite. [Origin not ascertained.] A European species of shad, Alosa finta. Also attrib. twait shad.
1613. J. Dennys, Secr. Angling, II. xlii. The Shad … The Bocher sweet, the pleasant Flounder thin, The Peele, the Tweat, the Botling, and the rest.
c. 1640. J. Smyth, Lives Berkeleys (1885), III. 319. 53. sorts of sea fish…. The turbut, Lamprey, Lamperne, Shad, tweat.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 325/1. The Shad, Thwait, Plaice, and Flou[n]der have the greatest love for Salt, or Brackish Waters, which ebb and flow.
1769. Pennant, Zool., III. 298. The variety [of the Shad] called near Gloucester the Twaite.
1882. Standard, 2 March, 2/8. Two species which ascend certain streams … about the month of May—… the Twait shad and the Allice shad.
1904. Gallichan, Fishing Spain, 168. The two kinds of shad of our coast are known as the twaite and the allice.
