The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Whiting \Whit"ing\, n. [From White.]
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1. (Zool.)
(a) A common European food fish (Melangus vulgaris) of
the Codfish family; -- called also fittin.
(b) A North American fish (Merlucius vulgaris) allied to
the preceding; -- called also silver hake.
(c) Any one of several species of North American marine
sciaenoid food fishes belonging to genus
Menticirrhus, especially Menticirrhus Americanus,
found from Maryland to Brazil, and Menticirrhus
littoralis, common from Virginia to Texas; -- called
also silver whiting, and surf whiting.
[1913 Webster]
Note: Various other fishes are locally called whiting, as the
kingfish
(a), the sailor's choice
(b), the Pacific tomcod, and certain species of lake
whitefishes.
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2. Chalk prepared in an impalpable powder by pulverizing and
repeated washing, used as a pigment, as an ingredient in
putty, for cleaning silver, etc.
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Whiting pollack. (Zool.) Same as Pollack.
Whiting pout (Zool.), the bib, 2.
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