A small marine fish of the cod family, typically silver-white in color and popular as food fish. Also refers to powdered chalk used in cleaning and polishing.
From Old English hwītung, derived from hwīt (white) + the suffix -ing, literally meaning 'white one.' The fish name dates to the 14th century, referring to its pale coloration, while the chalk powder meaning developed from the same color association.
Whiting fish are incredibly important ecologically - they're like the 'middle management' of ocean food webs, eating smaller fish and crustaceans while being eaten by larger predators. The chalk powder called whiting was once essential for making putty and paint, and it's still used today in toothpaste!
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