HERRING GULL • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of Herring gull

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/hˈɛrɪŋ gəl/ Listen

noun

Herring n. (Zool.) 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.

Herring gull (Zool.), a large gull which feeds in part upon herrings; esp., Larus argentatus in America, and Larus cachinnans in England. See Gull.

Herring hog (Zool.), the common porpoise.

King of the herrings. (Zool.)

(a)

The chimaera (Chimaera monstrosa) which follows the schools of herring. Called also rabbit fish in the U. K. See Chimaera.

(b)

The opah.

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Etymology of 'Herring gull'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Herring gull" Quotes from Famous Books

... I have now seen at Nahant in every one of our seven colder months,—from October to April,—though it is unquestionably rare upon the Massachusetts coast between the fall and spring migrations. Besides the species already named, my monthly list included the following: herring gull, great black-backed gull, ruffed grouse, hairy woodpecker, flicker, goldfinch, tree sparrow, snowbird, blue jay, crow, shrike, white-bellied nuthatch (only two or three birds), golden-crowned ...

— The Foot-path Way • Bradford Torrey