Main Entry:

mack·er·el

Pronunciation:

\ˈma-k(ə-)rəl\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural mackerel or mackerels

Etymology:

Middle English makerel, from Anglo-French

Date:

14th century

1 : a scombroid fish (Scomber scombrus of the family Scombridae) of the North Atlantic that is green above with dark blue bars and silvery below and is a commercially important food fish 2 : any of various fishes (as the wahoo and king mackerel) in the same family as the mackerel especially when distinguished from the related bonito or tuna by a comparatively smaller size

[mackerel illustration]