merlan

whiting (fish)

noun mehr-LAHN Rare

Also means

hairdresser (slang)

Usage Note

Merlan is the common North Atlantic whiting (Merlangius merlangus), a white-fleshed fish sold widely in French fishmongers. In Parisian slang, le merlan has historically meant a hairdresser, supposedly because hairdressers used to be as white with powder as a whiting. The plural is regular: merlans.

Examples

"Le merlan est un poisson bon marché."

Natural Translation

Whiting is an inexpensive fish.

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