lake herring

noun

1. a cisco or whitefish, especially Coregonus artedii, of the Great Lakes.

lake herring

noun

1. another name for cisco
2. another name for powan

Word History and Origins

Origin of lake herring¹

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

Example Sentences

Being confined to small lakes, the cisco does not grow so large as the lake herring.

From Project Gutenberg

The water abounded in little fish, but they were lake herring, which are really not herring at all, and will not take a hook.

From Project Gutenberg

The cisco is somewhat smaller than the lake-herring, but otherwise it is about the same.

From Project Gutenberg