plural herring or herrings
Definition of herring
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
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for herring
The first known use of herring was before the 12th century
See more words from the same century