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# herring

noun (a herring, herring or herrings)

«herring» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A herring is a small silver fish that lives in big groups in the North Atlantic and other cold seas. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/herring/#m1)
2. Herring is also the fish eaten as food, often smoked (a kipper) or pickled. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/herring/#m2)
3. A red herring is a clue or fact that leads you the wrong way, on purpose or by accident. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/herring/#m3)

### In the lessons

In science, herring are an example of a fish that swims in shoals and is eaten by seals, whales and seabirds — a link in a food chain. In history, herring fishing made many coastal towns rich. In stories and mysteries, «a red herring» is a false clue that distracts the reader or detective. In maths problems, a red herring is a number in the question that you do not need. Phrases: «a shoal of herring», «pickled herring», «red herring», «packed like herrings».

### Examples

- A shoal of herring flashed silver in the sea. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/herring/#x1)
- Grandad eats pickled herring on toast. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/herring/#x2)
- A smoked herring is called a kipper. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/herring/#x3)
- Puffins and seals eat herring. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/herring/#x4)
- The muddy footprint was a red herring; the thief came in through the window. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/herring/#x5)
- This word problem has a red herring: the age of the bus driver does not matter. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/herring/#x6)
- The fishing boats came back full of herring. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/herring/#x7)

### Note

Plural: «herring» or «herrings»; «herring» is common for fish in the sea and as food. «Red herring» is an idiom: it is not a real red fish. In maths word problems, look out for red herrings — extra numbers you should not use.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «herring» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/herring/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«herring» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/herring.html) on Mova free.