matjes herring

noun

Young filleted herring that has been matured for a short time in brine and prepared traditionally with vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices.

OriginDutch maatjesharing →
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Meanings

nounmatjes herring (plural matjes herrings or matjes herring)

plural matjes herrings

  1. Young filleted herring that has been matured for a short time in brine and prepared traditionally with vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices.

Origin

  1. Dutchmaatjesharing“matjes herring”
  2. Englishmatjes herring

From Dutch maatjesharing (“matjes herring”), from maatjes (“young, small”) + haring (“herring”), from earlier forms maetgens-, maeghdekins-, medykens- (“maiden-like”), from maagd (“maiden”) + -kin (“-kin”), so called because matjes herring is made of young herring that has never spawned.

More words from Dutch

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Danish matjessild
  • matjessildprepared young herring
Dutch maatjesharing
  • maatjesharingprepared young herring
Finnish matjessilli
  • matjessilliprepared young herring
German Matjeshering
  • Matjesheringprepared young herring
Norwegian Bokmål matjessild
  • matjessildprepared young herring
Swedish matjessill
  • matjessillprepared young herring
Cite this entry
APA

matjes herring. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/matjes%20herring

MLA

“matjes herring.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/matjes%20herring. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “matjes herring,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/matjes%20herring.

Source: matjes herring on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.