The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Herring \Her"ring\ (h[e^]r"r[i^]ng), n. [OE. hering, AS.
h[ae]ring; akin to D. haring, G. h[aum]ring, hering, OHG.
haring, hering, and prob. to AS. here army, and so called
because they commonly move in large numbers. Cf. Harry.]
(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.
[1913 Webster]
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 chim[ae]ra (Chimaera monstrosa) which follows the
schools of herring. Called also rabbit fish in the U.
K. See Chim[ae]ra.
(b) The opah.
[1913 Webster]