n. See Shad. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
imp. & p. p. of Have. [ OE. had, hafde, hefde, AS. hæfde. ] See Have. [ 1913 Webster ]
Had as lief,
Had rather,
Had better,
Had as soon, etc.
And lever me is be pore and trewe.
[ And more agreeable to me it is to be poor and true. ] C. Mundi (Trans.). [ 1913 Webster ]
Him had been lever to be syke.
[ To him it had been preferable to be sick. ] Fabian. [ 1913 Webster ]
For him was lever have at his bed's head
Twenty bookes, clad in black or red, . . .
Than robes rich, or fithel, or gay sawtrie. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]
Gradually the nominative was substituted for the dative, and had for the forms of be. During the process of transition, the nominative with was or were, and the dative with had, are found. [ 1913 Webster ]
Poor lady, she were better love a dream. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
You were best hang yourself. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]
Me rather had my heart might feel your love
Than my unpleased eye see your courtesy. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
I hadde levere than my scherte,
That ye hadde rad his legende, as have I. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]
I had as lief not be as live to be
In awe of such a thing as I myself. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
I had rather be a dog and bay the moon,
Than such a Roman. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. Ps. lxxxiv. 10. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. Same as jihad.
[ Their ] courage in war . . . had not, like that of the Muslim dervishes of the Sudan, or of Muslims anywhere engaged in a jehad, a religious motive and the promise of future bliss behind it. James Bryce. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]
n. sing. & pl. [ AS. sceadda a kind of fish, akin to Prov. G. schade; cf. Ir. & Gael. sgadan a herring, W. ysgadan herrings; all perhaps akin to E. skate a fish. ] (Zool.) Any one of several species of food fishes of the Herring family. The American species (Alosa sapidissima formerly Clupea sapidissima), which is abundant on the Atlantic coast and ascends the larger rivers in spring to spawn, is an important market fish. The European allice shad, or alose (Alosa alosa formerly Clupea alosa), and the twaite shad (Alosa finta formerly Clupea finta), are less important species.
☞ The name is loosely applied, also, to several other fishes, as the gizzard shad (see under Gizzard), called also
Hardboaded shad,
Yellow-tailed shad
Hickory shad,
Tailor shad
Long-boned shad,
Shad bush (Bot.),
Shad frog,
Trout shad,
White shad,