Illustration of mackerel
- mackerel 1
mackerel
noun
mack·er·el
ˈma-k(ə-)rəl 
plural mackerel or mackerels
1
: a scombroid fish (Scomber scombrus of the family Scombridae) of the North Atlantic that is green above with dark blue bars and silvery below and is a commercially important food fish
2
: any of various fishes (such as the wahoo and king mackerel) in the same family as the mackerel especially when distinguished from the related bonito or tuna by a comparatively smaller size
Examples of mackerel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The panko breading adds satisfying crunch to the flaky mackerel, its mild flavor given just a bit of bite from the lemon squeeze.
—
Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2025
Its controversial poster featured the show’s participants dining together on foods that could be considered stereotypes; Goode can be seen here, eating a mackerel, referring to a 19th-century slur for Catholics.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Like the hearty roasted beef chuck served with ratatouille, or the pickled mackerel drizzled with coastal shrimp oil.
—Isabelle Kliger, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
The lunch tray was beautifully laid out, but unfortunately, the mackerel, usually a favorite of mine at Korean places, was not memorable.
—Lauryn Azu, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mackerel
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Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2025
Its controversial poster featured the show’s participants dining together on foods that could be considered stereotypes; Goode can be seen here, eating a mackerel, referring to a 19th-century slur for Catholics.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Like the hearty roasted beef chuck served with ratatouille, or the pickled mackerel drizzled with coastal shrimp oil.
—Isabelle Kliger, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
The lunch tray was beautifully laid out, but unfortunately, the mackerel, usually a favorite of mine at Korean places, was not memorable.
—Lauryn Azu, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mackerel
Cite this Entry
“Mackerel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mackerel. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mackerel
noun
mack·er·el
ˈmak-(ə-)rəl
plural mackerel or mackerels
1
: a North Atlantic food fish that is green with blue bars above and silvery below
2
: any of various usually small or medium-sized fishes related to the mackerel
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