herring

noun

her·​ring ˈher-iŋ 

ˈhe-riŋ

plural herring or herrings

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

Examples of herring in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Both cases involved a 1976 federal law that requires herring boats to carry federal observers to collect data used to prevent overfishing. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 29 June 2024

Loper Bright is a case about fishing, specifically a group of herring fishing companies that objected to a National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) regulation mandating that boats allow a person onboard to collect conservation data and pay that person about $710 a day. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 June 2024

Seven strangers join her, driving around the Nordic countryside and competing in absurd challenges — eating pickled herrings, donning inflatable rook costumes atop a life-size chess board — while the cameras roll. —Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 19 July 2024

July 11, 2024 5 min read A case about Atlantic herring has resulted in SCOTUS ending a 40-year policy to defer to expert agencies when considering regulations. —Meredith Moore, Scientific American, 11 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hering, from Old English hǣring; akin to Old High German hārinc herring

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing herring

• blueback herring
• herring gull
• lake herring
• red herring

Kids Definition

herring

noun

her·​ring ˈher-iŋ 

plural herring or herrings

: a valuable food fish that is very common in the north Atlantic Ocean

also : any of various fishes like this one or related to it