RED HERRING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does red herring mean? 

• RED HERRING (noun)
  The noun RED HERRING has 3 senses:

1. any diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue

2. a dried and smoked herring having a reddish color

3. a first draft of a prospectus; must be clearly marked to indicate that parts may be changed in the final prospectus

  Familiarity information: RED HERRING used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RED HERRING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("red herring" is a kind of...):

deflection; deflexion; deviation; digression; divagation; diversion (a turning aside (of your course or attention or concern))

Sense 2

Meaning:

A dried and smoked herring having a reddish color

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

red herring; smoked herring

Hypernyms ("red herring" is a kind of...):

herring (valuable flesh of fatty fish from shallow waters of northern Atlantic or Pacific; usually salted or pickled)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A first draft of a prospectus; must be clearly marked to indicate that parts may be changed in the final prospectus

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

preliminary prospectus; red herring

Context example:

because some portions of the cover page are printed in red ink a preliminary prospectus is sometimes called a red herring

Hypernyms ("red herring" is a kind of...):

course catalog; course catalogue; prospectus (a catalog listing the courses offered by a college or university)

 Context examples 

If you are telegraphing home, Mr. Huxtable, it would be well to allow the people in your neighbourhood to imagine that the inquiry is still going on in Liverpool, or wherever else that red herring led your pack.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)