herring

noun

her·​ring ˈher-iŋ How to pronounce herring (audio)
ˈhe-riŋ
plural herring or herrings
1
: either of two food fishes (genus Clupeus):
a
: one (C. harengus) that is abundant in the temperate and colder parts of the North Atlantic and that in the adult state is preserved by smoking or salting and in the young state is extensively canned and sold as sardines
b
: one (C. pallasi synonym C. h. pallasi) of the North Pacific harvested especially for its roe
2
: any of a large family (Clupeidae) of soft-finned bony fishes (such as the herrings, shads, sardines, and menhadens) that have a laterally compressed body and a forked tail and usually occur in schools

Examples of herring in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Puffins spend most of their lives at sea, eating small fish, less than six inches long, such as sand lance and herring. USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2024 According to a February 2021 study published in Environment International, Atlantic mackerel and herring were great sources of vitamin D. Ella Quittner, Health, 9 Feb. 2024 This makes going herring fishing or having that option financially prohibitive. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 16 Jan. 2024 Popular baits include shrimp, squid or pieces of dead herring, pikeminnow or sucker. Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 The pair of cases were brought by commercial herring fishermen. Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 17 Jan. 2024 The federal rules to monitor and prevent overfishing of Atlantic herring have been bolstered in recent years, in part to address the strain on the fishery due to warming waters. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 18 Jan. 2024 For starters, it’s filled with herrings that surely turned red from blushing with shame, starting with the interview itself. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2023 But herring and the rule that gave way to the disputes were seldom mentioned during oral arguments. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 17 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'herring.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hering, from Old English hǣring; akin to Old High German hārinc herring

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of herring was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near herring

Cite this Entry

“Herring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/herring. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

herring

noun
her·​ring ˈher-iŋ How to pronounce herring (audio)
plural herring or herrings
: a valuable food fish that is very common in the north Atlantic Ocean
also : any of various fishes like this one or related to it

More from Merriam-Webster on herring

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