noun
Etymology: Middle English
1. : a herring cured by heavy salting and slow smoking to a dark brown color — compare kipper II; see neither fish nor fowl at fish I
2.
[so called from the traditional practice of dragging a red herring across a trail to destroy the scent]
: a diversion intended to distract attention from the real issue
there are many false issues, straw men, and red herrings — H.W.Baldwin
the nominal subject of imaginative art … is nearly always a red herring — Times Literary Supplement
3. : a preliminary prospectus for a new security with a warning notice in red on each page that sale will begin only when the registration statement is effective
a red herring … is sent to the dealers for their information — B.E.Shultz