haddock ('haed&schwa.k). Forms: 4 haddoc, 4-5 -ok, 5 hadok(e, 5-6 haddoke, 6

hadocke, 6-7 haddocke, 8 hadock, 6- haddock. [Origin uncertain.  The suffix

-ock appears to be diminutive, as in bullock, dunnock, hillock, etc. 

  OFr. hadot, pl. hados, is found in the same sense c 1250 (see Godef.), and

thus earlier than our first example: it is, however, a very rare word, and, in

the opinion of French etymologists, probably from English; its form suggests

the Sc. haddo', haddo's.  The Gaelic adag is from Eng.]

  1 A fish (Gadus aeglefinus) allied to the cod, but smaller, abundant in the

North Atlantic and the British seas, and much used for food.

  1307-8 Durh. MS. Cell. Roll, MC Haddoks. 1314 in Wardr. Acc. 8 Edw. II 1/12,

2 haddoks 1s. 1327 Patent Roll 20 Edw. II, Salt haddoc. C. 1420 Liber Cocorum

(1862) 41 Take turbut, haddok, and gode codlyng. C. 1440 Promp. Parv. 220/2

Haddok, fysche, morius. 1532 MORE Confut. Tindale Wks. 552/1, I knew one that

shot at an hart & killed an haddoke. 1615 HEYWOOD Foure Prentises I. Wks. 1874

II. 186, I might haue fed the Haddockes. 1681 COLVIL Whigs Supplic. (1751) 48

Shining..As Haddocks heads do in the dark. 1785 BOSWELL Voy. Hebrides 26 Aug.,

They set down dried haddocks broiled, along with our tea. 1842 MOULE Her. Fish

in Trench Mirac. xxviii. (1862) 387 note, A popular idea assigns the dark

marks on the shoulders of the haddock to the impression left by St. Peter with

his finger and thumb, when he took the tribute-money out of the fish's mouth
at Capernaum.

  b Prov.  to bring haddock to paddock: to spend or lose everything, to come to

destitution.

  1546 J. HEYWOOD Prov. (1867) 82 And thus had he brought haddocke to paddocke.

1577 STANYHURST Descr. Irel. in Holinshed (1807-8) VI. 23, I had bene like to

have brought haddocke to paddocke.

  2 Applied, with or without qualification, to other allied fishes, as the Red

Cod (Lotella bacchus) of New Zealand; golden haddock, the John Dory; Jerusalem

h., the Opah; Norway or Norwegian h., the Bergylt or Sea Perch.

  1847 CARPENTER Zool. Sect.556 The Sebastes, or Norway Haddock, which inhabits

the northern seas, and is an important article of food. 1871 HUTTON Fishes N.

Zealand 115 Red Cod.  Also called the Yellow Tail and the Haddock.

  3 Comb., as haddock-boat, -curing, -smoker, -smoking; haddock-carrying adj.;

also haddock-meat (see quot.); haddock-tea (in New England), `a thin chowder

made of haddock' (Cent. Dict.).

  1769 PENNANT Zool. III. 145 The stone-coated worms, which the fishermen call

hadock meat. 1883 S. PLIMSOLL in 19th Cent. XIV. 148 Haddock-carrying vans.

1886 G. R. SIMS in Daily News 4 Dec. 5/6 Haddock-smoking can only be carried

on in a very few places.

  Hence 'haddocker, a person or vessel employed in fishing for haddock.