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Glite Dictionary
king of the herring

king of the herring

9.9
A very large thin fish from deep water with a long body and a bright red fin
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : rey del arenque
  • The long, silvery king of the herring is rarely seen near the ocean surface.

Examples

  • Marine biologists were thrilled to find a king of the herring washed up on the beach.

  • The king of the herring is known for its impressive size.

  • Legends about the king of the herring inspired many stories of sea serpents.

  • Have you ever seen a king of the herring up close?

  • Marine biologists were thrilled to find a king of the herring washed up on the beach.

  • The long, silvery king of the herring is rarely seen near the ocean surface.

  • Have you ever seen a king of the herring up close?

Synonyms

oarfish
vsking of the herring
1 9.9

A very long fish that lives deep in the sea and has a red back fin

is a descriptive term emphasizing unusual shape and size rather than a formal name
Regalecus glesne
vsking of the herring
  • Specialized
9.9

A very long thin deep water fish with a red fin on its back

is the general descriptive name highlighting unusual size and shape
ribbonfish
vsking of the herring
  • Specialized
9.1

A long fish that lives in deep warm and cool seas with a thin shiny body

is larger and marked by a bright red dorsal fin and unusual size

Surface Forms

king of the herring singular
kings of the herring plural

Morphology

king + of + the + herring

The phrase is partly interpretable: a B1 learner who knows 'king' and 'herring' will likely infer this refers to an especially large or notable herring (a 'king' among herrings). However, the detailed sense given (a specific deep-water species with precise size and a bright red dorsal fin) is not predictable from the constituents, so the meaning is only partly transparent.

Etymology

King of the herring may come from old fishermen who saw a very large, long fish with a bright red fin on its back and thought it looked like a king wearing a crown, so they called it king of the herring. That's why the name now means 'a large, thin, deep-water fish'.