herring

American  

[her-ing] / ˈhɛr ɪŋ /

noun

plural

herring,

plural

herrings

1. an important food fish, Clupea harengus harengus, found in enormous shoals in the North Atlantic.

2. a similar fish, Clupea harengus pallasii, of the North Pacific.

3. any fish of the family Clupeidae, including herrings, shads, and sardines.

4. any of various fishes resembling the herring but of unrelated families.

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herring British  

/ ˈhɛrɪŋ /

noun

1. any marine soft-finned teleost fish of the family Clupeidae, esp Clupea harengus, an important food fish of northern seas, having an elongated body covered, except in the head region, with large fragile silvery scales

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herring Idioms  

1. see dead as a doornail (herring); red herring.

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Other Word Forms

• herringlike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of herring

before 900; Middle English hering, Old English hǣring; cognate with German Häring

Explanation

A herring is a small, silver fish. Most herring that's caught for food is prepared by being smoked, salted, or pickled. The majority of herring is caught in the Atlantic, though the fish is found in both the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans. Because it's very high in the famously healthy Omega-3 fats, herring is considered a healthful fish for people to eat. Herrings is also used as bait for catching larger fish. Although the source of the word herring is uncertain, many experts see a link to the Old English har, or "gray."

Example Sentences

"Ultimately, the recipe has to be good – there are some really awful ones," she says, referencing strange combinations she has seen in cookbooks, including banana and herring and lamb and crab.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

“The childish scribbling handwriting is also a red herring for some of the more serious and sinister themes in the book, “ says Cash.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

But in the case of Iran, the whole exercise is a bit of a red herring.

From Slate • Mar. 11, 2026

Firm jobs growth could also be a "red herring," warned EY-Parthenon chief economist Gregory Daco in a recent note.

From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026

Or do you suppose this is a red herring and that the abandonment of the gold standard is at the root of the matter?'

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro