mackerel

American  

[mak-er-uhl, mak-ruhl] / ˈmæk ər əl, ˈmæk rəl /

noun

mackerels plural

1. a food fish, Scomber scombrus, of the North Atlantic, having wavy cross markings on the back.

2. Spanish mackerel.

3. any of various similar fishes, as the Atka mackerel.

---

mackerel British  

/ ˈmækrəl /

noun

1. a spiny-finned food fish, Scomber scombrus, occurring in northern coastal regions of the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean: family Scombridae. It has a deeply forked tail and a greenish-blue body marked with wavy dark bands on the back Compare Spanish mackerel

2. any of various other fishes of the family Scombridae, such as Scomber colias (Spanish mackerel) and S. japonicus (Pacific mackerel)

---

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• mackerels
  plural
• mackerel
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mackerel

1250–1300; Middle English < Old French, perhaps same word as Middle French maquerel pimp < Middle Dutch makelare broker (by metathesis), equivalent to makel ( en ) to bring together + -are -er ¹

Compare meaning

How does mackerel compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• king mackerel vs. mackerel

Example Sentences

Tinned fish works beautifully, especially tuna, mackerel or sardines.

From Salon • Jun. 9, 2026

She has cultivated a down-to-earth image, posting photos on social media of her meal of tinned mackerel on rye bread and cleaning windows at home.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Kerry Lyne, its Good Fish Guide manager, said: "To keep favourites like mackerel on the menu, we need support right across the supply chain with fishing kept within sustainable limits."

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

From nearly 13 million tons in 2014, the biomass of spawning-age mackerel has plummeted to less than 3 million tons in 2025.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

Macon looked prouder than when she’d pulled in the mackerel.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn