A zigzag pattern of parallel lines that resembles the skeleton of a herring fish, often used in brickwork, flooring, or fabric designs.
From Middle English 'herring' + 'bone,' named for the resemblance to fish bones. The herring fish was well-known in medieval Europe, and the distinctive V-shaped bone structure inspired the pattern name used since the 14th century.
Herringbone patterns appear everywhere from ancient Roman pavements to modern luxury flooring—the pattern is so efficient at distributing weight that it's still used in engineering. Interestingly, the human eye naturally finds herringbone more visually interesting than straight lines, which is why it's remained fashionable for 2,000 years.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.