whiting Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun flesh of a cod-like fish of the Atlantic waters of Europe
  2. noun flesh of any of a number of slender food fishes especially of Atlantic coasts of North America
  3. noun a small fish of the genus Sillago; excellent food fish
  4. noun any of several food fishes of North American coastal waters
  5. noun found off Atlantic coast of North America
    Merluccius bilinearis; silver hake.
  6. noun a food fish of the Atlantic waters of Europe resembling the cod; sometimes placed in genus Gadus
    Merlangus merlangus; Gadus merlangus.
  7. verb turn white
    white; whiten.
    • This detergent will whiten your laundry

WordNet

Whit"ing noun
Etymology
From White.
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) (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 sciænoid food fishes belonging to genus Menticirrhus, especially M. Americanus, found from Maryland to Brazil, and M. littoralis, common from Virginia to Texas; -- called also silver whiting, and surf whiting. ✍ 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.
  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.

Webster 1913