English

Bricks arranged in a herringbone pattern

Alternative forms

• herring-bone

Noun

herringbone ‎(plural herringbones)

1. A bone of a herring
   • 1884: Samuel Smiles, Men of Invention and Industry

     The prosperity of Amsterdam was then so great that it was said that Amsterdam was "founded on herring-bones."

2. A zigzag pattern, especially made by bricks, on a cloth, or by stitches in sewing
   • 1861: Charlotte Yonge, The Young Step-Mother

     'The best path of life is but a herring-bone pattern.'

   • 1922: James Joyce, Ulysses

     Mr Bloom walked behind the eyeless feet, a flatcut suit of herringbone tweed.

3. (skiing) A method of climbing a hill by pointing the skis outward in a V-shape to keep from sliding backwards.
4. Twilled fabric woven in rows of parallel sloping lines

Translations

Verb

herringbone ‎(third-person singular simple present herringbones, present participle herringboning, simple past and past participle herringboned)

1. To stitch in a herringbone pattern.
   • 1899, Israel Zangwill, "They that Walk in Darkness": Ghetto Tragedies (page 289)

     When, at the head-centre, the lady demonstrator, armed with a Brobdingnagian whalebone needle, threaded with a bright red cord, executed herringboned fantasias on a canvas frame resembling a violin stand, it all looked easy enough.

2. (skiing) To climb a hill by pointing the skis outward in a V-shape to keep from sliding backwards.