The Leuciscus alburnus of naturalists, and the fresh-water sprat of Isaak Walton. The name of this fish is from the Anglo-Saxon blican, owing to its shining whiteness its lustrous scales having long been used in the manufacture of false pearls.
·adj Without color; pale; pallid. II. Bleak ·adj Desolate and exposed; swept by cold winds. III. B...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language