ling

1
[ ling ]

noun,plural (especially collectively) ling, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) lings.
  1. an elongated, marine, gadid food fish, Molva molva, of Greenland and northern Europe.

  2. the burbot.

  1. any of various other elongated food fishes.

Origin of ling

1
1250–1300; Middle English ling, lenge; cognate with Dutch leng; akin to long1, Old Norse langa

Words Nearby ling

Other definitions for ling (2 of 5)

ling2
[ ling ]

noun
  1. the heather, Calluna vulgaris.

Origin of ling

2
1325–75; Middle English lyng<Old Norse lyng

Other definitions for -ling (3 of 5)

-ling1

  1. a suffix of nouns, often pejorative, denoting one concerned with (hireling; underling), or diminutive (princeling; duckling).

Origin of -ling

3
Middle English, Old English; cognate with German -ling,Old Norse -lingr,Gothic -lings;see -le, -ing1

Other definitions for -ling (4 of 5)

-ling2

  1. an adverbial suffix expressing direction, position, state, etc.: darkling; sideling.

Origin of -ling

4
Middle English, Old English; adv. use of gradational variant langlong1

Other definitions for ling. (5 of 5)

ling.

abbreviation
  1. linguistics.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use ling in a sentence

  • It is recorded by one writer that Chang Kiu-ling, when a youth, trained pigeons to carry letters to his friends.

    Chinese Poems | Various
  • He hit ling on the lower end of the breastbone, where his belly would be softest.

    The Devil's Asteroid | Manly Wade Wellman
  • The plain was well-grassed, as high as ling's knuckled knee.

    The Devil's Asteroid | Manly Wade Wellman
  • I'm falling into the beast-man class, closer to ling's type.

    The Devil's Asteroid | Manly Wade Wellman
  • ling grimaced, but followed lest his companions think him afraid.

    The Devil's Asteroid | Manly Wade Wellman

British Dictionary definitions for ling (1 of 5)

ling1

/ (lɪŋ) /


nounplural ling or lings
  1. any of several gadoid food fishes of the northern coastal genus Molva, esp M. molva, having an elongated body with long fins

  2. another name for burbot

Origin of ling

1
C13: probably from Low German; related to long 1

British Dictionary definitions for ling (2 of 5)

ling2

/ (lɪŋ) /


noun
  1. another name for heather (def. 1)

Origin of ling

2
C14: from Old Norse lyng

Derived forms of ling

  • lingy, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for -ling (3 of 5)

-ling1

suffix forming nouns
  1. often derogatory a person or thing belonging to or associated with the group, activity, or quality specified: nestling; underling

  2. used as a diminutive: duckling

Origin of -ling

3
Old English -ling, of Germanic origin; related to Icelandic -lingr, Gothic -lings

British Dictionary definitions for -ling (4 of 5)

-ling2

suffix forming adverbs
  1. in a specified condition, manner, or direction: darkling; sideling

Origin of -ling

4
Old English -ling, adverbial suffix

British Dictionary definitions for ling. (5 of 5)

ling.

abbreviation for
  1. linguistics

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012