plural herring or herrings
1
: either of two food fishes (genus Clupea):
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
Like in most of Scandinavia, the cuisine is entirely inspired by the ingredients Icelanders have around them, from the free-roaming sheep to the cod, herring, and Arctic char that splash around the cold waters.
—
Claire Volkman, Vogue, 7 Jan. 2025
The safest options are those commonly found in commercial dog food, such as salmon, whitefish, herring, flounder, and Arctic char.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
Cold-water fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines are great sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
—Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 1 Oct. 2024
While black-eyed peas are supposed to symbolize good luck in the new year, others opt to eat collard greens or herring.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for herring 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Claire Volkman, Vogue, 7 Jan. 2025
The safest options are those commonly found in commercial dog food, such as salmon, whitefish, herring, flounder, and Arctic char.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
Cold-water fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines are great sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
—Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 1 Oct. 2024
While black-eyed peas are supposed to symbolize good luck in the new year, others opt to eat collard greens or herring.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for herring
Dictionary Entries Near herring
Cite this Entry
“Herring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/herring. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share