noun
mackerel
MAK-ruhl
noun
1
A small, oily edible sea fish with a streaked or speckled pattern on its back.
"She grilled a fresh mackerel with lemon and herbs."
"Mackerel is cheap, sustainable, and full of omega-3s."
2
A sky pattern of small, rippled clouds that looks like fish scales (as in "mackerel sky").
"Sailors say a mackerel sky means rain is coming."
How to Use Mackerel
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA common oily fish, or the fish-scale pattern of clouds named after it.
Common pairings
smoked mackerel
mackerel sky
a tin of mackerel
Word Forms
mackerel plural, mackerels plural, mackerels plural
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Etymology
From Middle English makerel, borrowed from Old French maquerel — the deeper origin is uncertain.