red herring

1. A smoked herring having a reddish color.

2. Something that draws attention away from the central issue.

[From its use to distract hunting dogs from the trail.]

red herring

1. anything that diverts attention from a topic or line of inquiry

2. (Cookery) a herring cured by salting and smoking

red herring - Something intended to be misleading or distracting, so named from the practice of using the scent of red herring in training hounds.

See also related terms for scent.

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun	1.	red herring - any diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue digression, divagation, diversion, deflexion, deviation, deflection - a turning aside (of your course or attention or concern); "a diversion from the main highway"; "a digression into irrelevant details"; "a deflection from his goal"
	2.	red herring - a dried and smoked herring having a reddish color smoked herring herring - valuable flesh of fatty fish from shallow waters of northern Atlantic or Pacific; usually salted or pickled
	3.	red herring - a first draft of a prospectus; must be clearly marked to indicate that parts may be changed in the final prospectus; "because some portions of the cover page are printed in red ink a preliminary prospectus is sometimes called a red herring" preliminary prospectus course catalog, course catalogue, prospectus - a catalog listing the courses offered by a college or university

Translations

red herring n (fig) → falsa pista

Mentioned in	?		References in classic literature	?		Dictionary browser	?		Full browser	?
course catalog course catalogue deflection deflexion deviation digression divagation diversion herring Indeterminateness ploy preliminary prospectus pretext prospectus red redhead scent smoked herring Victimization	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 Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan View in context "Mamma," said Rosamond, "when Fred comes down I wish you would not let him have red herrings. Middlemarch by Eliot, George View in context He asked this member of the fraternity (who had two red herrings in his hand, and a loaf and a blacking brush under his arm), where was the nearest place to get a cup of coffee at. Little Dorrit by Dickens, Charles View in context	red elm red emperor Red empress Red Ensign red eye red false mallow red fir red fire red flag red fox red giant red giant star red ginger red goatfish red goosefoot red gram red grouse Red Guard red gum Red hand Red Hand Defenders red hat red haw red heat red helleborine red herring red hind RED HORSE red hot Red Indian red ink Red Jacket red jungle fowl red juniper red kangaroo red kauri red kowhai red lauan red lauan tree red laver red lead Red lead ore red light red line Red liquor Red maggot red maids red man Red manganese red maple red marrow	Red Hat Network Services Red Hat Package Manager Red Hat Professional Workstation Red Hat Security Advisory Red Hat Society Red Hat Systems Engineer Red Hat Training red hats red hats Red hatters Red hatters red haw Red Haw State Park Red head Red head Red Headed Step Child Red heads Red heads Red Heart Red Heart Super Saver Red Heart the Ticker Red Heart Warriors Society red heat Red heeler Red heeler red helleborine red hematite Red Hepatisation red hepatization red herring Red herring (fallacy) Red herring fallacy Red herring prospectus Red herring prospectus Red herring prospectus Red Herring Prospectuses Red Herring Prospectuses Red herrings Red herrings Red herrings Red High Red Hill Band Red Hill Creek Expressway Red Hill Elementary School Red Hill Mining Town Red Hill Paddington Community Centre Red Hill Patrick Henry National Memorial Red hill plantation Red Hills Horse Trials Red Hills State Park red hind Red Hispana de Desarrollo Empresarial Red Hook Civic Association Red Hook Community Justice Center Red Hook High School Red Hook Soccer Club, Inc. Red Horn RED HORSE RED HORSE

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course catalog
course catalogue
deflection
deflexion
deviation
digression
divagation
diversion
herring
Indeterminateness
ploy
preliminary prospectus
pretext
prospectus
red
redhead
scent
smoked herring
Victimization

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 Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan View in context

"Mamma," said Rosamond, "when Fred comes down I wish you would not let him have red herrings.

Middlemarch by Eliot, George View in context

He asked this member of the fraternity (who had two red herrings in his hand, and a loaf and a blacking brush under his arm), where was the nearest place to get a cup of coffee at.

Little Dorrit by Dickens, Charles View in context

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Red Hat Professional Workstation
Red Hat Security Advisory
Red Hat Society
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red hats
red hats
Red hatters
Red hatters
red haw
Red Haw State Park
Red head
Red head
Red Headed Step Child
Red heads
Red heads
Red Heart
Red Heart Super Saver
Red Heart the Ticker
Red Heart Warriors Society
red heat
Red heeler
Red heeler
red helleborine
red hematite
Red Hepatisation
red hepatization

red herring

Red herring (fallacy)
Red herring fallacy
Red herring prospectus
Red herring prospectus
Red herring prospectus
Red Herring Prospectuses
Red Herring Prospectuses
Red herrings
Red herrings
Red herrings
Red High
Red Hill Band
Red Hill Creek Expressway
Red Hill Elementary School
Red Hill Mining Town
Red Hill Paddington Community Centre
Red Hill Patrick Henry National Memorial
Red hill plantation
Red Hills Horse Trials
Red Hills State Park
red hind
Red Hispana de Desarrollo Empresarial
Red Hook Civic Association
Red Hook Community Justice Center
Red Hook High School
Red Hook Soccer Club, Inc.
Red Horn
RED HORSE
RED HORSE