ling1
- an elongated, marine, gadid food fish, Molva molva, of Greenland and northern Europe.
- the burbot.
- any of various other elongated food fishes.
Origin of ling1
ling2
- the heather, Calluna vulgaris.
Origin of ling2
ling.
-ling1
- a suffix of nouns, often pejorative, denoting one concerned with (hireling; underling), or diminutive (princeling; duckling).
Origin of -ling1
-ling2
- an adverbial suffix expressing direction, position, state, etc.: darkling; sideling.
Origin of -ling2
Examples from the Web for ling
Contemporary Examples
Of Zamora, the children have always asked questions, which Winick and Ling try and answer as openly as possible.
Winick and Ling still miss Zamora with a “sharp pang of grief.”
Last week, the Hong Kong–based South China Morning Post revealed the driver was the son of senior official Ling Jihua.
China Roiled by Rumors and Questions About Absent Heir Apparent Xi JinpingMelinda Liu
September 11, 2012
Police refused to name the driver—later reported to be Ling Gu, 23, the son of an influential ally of Chinese President Hu Jintao.
Because of the dearth of wives, Ling says that trafficking of child brides is epidemic.
Historical Examples
The dragon possesses the most ling of all creatures (p. 64).
The Evolution of the DragonG. Elliot Smith
He hit Ling on the lower end of the breastbone, where his belly would be softest.
The Devil's AsteroidManly Wade Wellman
The plain was well-grassed, as high as Ling's knuckled knee.
The Devil's AsteroidManly Wade Wellman
Ling grimaced, but followed lest his companions think him afraid.
The Devil's AsteroidManly Wade Wellman
Ling had seemed so hairy, so misshapen, like a troll out of Gothic legends.
The Devil's AsteroidManly Wade Wellman
ling1
- any of several gadoid food fishes of the northern coastal genus Molva, esp M. molva, having an elongated body with long fins
- another name for burbot
Word Origin
ling2
- another name for heather (def. 1)
Word Origin
ling.
- linguistics
-ling1
- often derogatory a person or thing belonging to or associated with the group, activity, or quality specifiednestling; underling
- used as a diminutiveduckling
Word Origin
-ling2
- in a specified condition, manner, or directiondarkling; sideling
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for ling
n.
long, slender fish, c.1300, common Germanic, cf. Dutch leng, German Leng, Old Norse langa, probably ultimately related to long (adj.).
-ling
diminutive word-forming element, early 14c., from Old English -ling a nominal suffix (not originally diminutive), from Proto-Germanic *-linga-; attested in historical Germanic languages as a simple suffix, but probably representing a fusion of the suffixes represented by English -le (cf. icicle, thimble, handle), from Old English -ol, -ul, -el; and -ing, suffix indicating "person or thing of a specific kind or origin;" in masculine nouns also "son of" (cf. farthing, atheling, Old English horing "adulterer, fornicator").
Both these suffixes had occasional diminutive force, but this was only slightly evident in Old English -ling and its equivalents in Germanic languages except Norse, where it commonly was used as a diminutive suffix, especially in words designating the young of animals (e.g. gæslingr "gosling"). Thus it is possible that the diminutive use that developed in Middle English is from Old Norse.