whiting

1 of 2

noun (1)

whit·​ing ˈ(h)wī-tiŋ How to pronounce whiting (audio)
plural whiting also whitings
: any of various marine food fishes: such as
a
: a common European fish (Merlangius merlangus) of the cod family

whiting

2 of 2

noun (2)

: calcium carbonate ground into fine powder, washed, and used especially as a pigment and extender, in putty, and in rubber compounding and paper coating

Examples of whiting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The fish fry offers perch, whiting and catfish, all served as full dinners or sandwiches. Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 22 Mar. 2024 There are plenty of mesmerizing fish — silver whiting and red snappers — but there are also predators lurking that would scare most swimmers away: great white sharks. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2024 The fried whiting is my absolute favorite. Condé Nast, Bon Appétit, 14 Mar. 2023 Fish selections range from cod to catfish to ocean perch and whiting. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 26 Feb. 2021 This protein-rich recipe contains 85% quality poultry and fish ingredients from chicken, turkey, quail, and blue whiting. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 23 Oct. 2022 The spill of blue whiting, a species used to produce fish fingers and other products and which is subject to quotas, was said to have been caused by a break early Thursday in one of the the trawler’s nets. Alexandra Muller, Bloomberg.com, 5 Feb. 2022 But a normal day of catching whiting, croakers, flounder, gafftopsail catfish, and the like took a turn when one of my two rods indicated a hit. David A. Rose, Field & Stream, 15 Mar. 2021 Fifteen years ago, some of the same countries couldn’t decide how to distribute blue whiting, and that had devastating consequences. Regin Winther Poulsen, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Middle Dutch witinc, from wit white; akin to Old English hwīt white

Noun (2)

Middle English, from gerund of whiten to white

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whiting was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near whiting

Cite this Entry

“Whiting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whiting. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on whiting

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!