Word Study
herring
CIDE DICTIONARY
herring, n. [OE. hering, AS. hæring; akin to D. haring, G. häring, hering, OHG. haring, hering, and prob. to AS. here army, and so called because they commonly move in large numbers. Cf. Harry.].
One of various species of fishes of the genus Clupea , and allied genera, esp. the common round or English herring (Clupea harengus ) of the North Atlantic. Herrings move in vast schools, coming in spring to the shores of Europe and America, where they are salted and smoked in great quantities. [1913 Webster]
Herring gull (Zoöl.), a large gull which feeds in part upon herrings; esp., Larus argentatus in America, and Larus cachinnans in England. See Gull . -- Herring hog (Zoöl.), the common porpoise. -- King of the herrings. (Zoöl.) (a) The chimæra (Chimaera monstrosa ) which follows the schools of herring. Called also rabbit fish in the U. K. See Chimæra . (b) The opah.
OXFORD DICTIONARY
herring, n. a N. Atlantic fish, Clupea harengus, coming near the coast in large shoals to spawn.
Idiom
herring-gull a large gull, Larus argentatus, with dark wing-tips.
Etymology
OE h{aelig}ring, hering f. WG
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