dace

noun

Etymology: Old variant of earlier darse, from Late Middle English darse (also as dace already), from Old French darz, oblique plural form of dart (“spear; javelin”). For a similar loss of r, compare bass, while for the pronunciation with /eɪ/, see scarce.

1. A shoal-forming fish of species Leuciscus leuciscus, common to swift rivers in England and Wales and in Europe.

   “Somewhere near at hand, though out of sight, there was a clear, slow-moving stream where dace were swimming in the pools under the willow trees.”

2. Any of various related small fish of the family Cyprinidae that live in freshwater and are native to North America.