mackerel

[ mak-er-uh l, mak-ruh l ]
/ ˈmæk ər əl, ˈmæk rəl /

noun, plural (especially collectively) mack·er·el, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) mack·er·els.

a food fish, Scomber scombrus, of the North Atlantic, having wavy cross markings on the back.
Spanish mackerel.
any of various similar fishes, as the Atka mackerel.

Origin of mackerel

1250–1300; Middle English < Old French, perhaps same word as Middle French maquerel pimp < Middle Dutch makelare broker (by metathesis), equivalent to makel(en) to bring together + -are -er1

Words nearby mackerel

mackellar, mackem, mackensen, mackenzie, mackenzie mountains, mackerel, mackerel breeze, mackerel gull, mackerel shark, mackerel sky, mackerras

Example sentences from the Web for mackerel

British Dictionary definitions for mackerel

mackerel
/ (ˈmækrəl) /

noun plural -rel or -rels

a spiny-finned food fish, Scomber scombrus, occurring in northern coastal regions of the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean: family Scombridae. It has a deeply forked tail and a greenish-blue body marked with wavy dark bands on the back Compare Spanish mackerel (def. 1)
any of various other fishes of the family Scombridae, such as Scomber colias (Spanish mackerel) and S. japonicus (Pacific mackerel)
See horse mackerel

Word Origin for mackerel

C13: from Anglo-French, from Old French maquerel, of unknown origin