whiting

Meanings

Noun

• A fine white chalk used in paints, putty, whitewash etc.
• A fish, Merlangius merlangus, similar to cod, found in the North Atlantic; English whiting .
• Any fish of many species that resemble Merlangius merlangus:

Verb

• Present participle of white

Origin

• white + -ing
• From Middle English whityng, whytyng, perhaps an alteration of Old English hwītling, remodelled after white + -ing. Related to the colour white. Cognate with Dutch wijting, Old Norse hvítingr.