Etymology From Middle English lenge, of Germanic origin. Cognate with Old Norse langa. Probably related to long.
1
Any of various codlike saltwater fish often used as food by humans, those of the genus Molva, in the family Lotidae.
Other deep creatures now being harvested or targeted as seafood include rattails, skates, squid, red crabs, orange roughy, black oreos, smooth oreos, hoki, blue ling, southern blue whiting, sablefish, black scabbard fish and spiny dogfish.1995 December 26, William J. Broad, “Creatures of the Deep Find Their Way to the Table”, in The New York Times:
Etymology From Middle English ling, linge, from Old Norse lyng.
1
Any of various varieties of heather or broom.
2
Common heather (Calluna vulgaris)
I was sitting by a path on a tussock between some bushes, whence I could overlook the path and a little valley to which it led down, and where nothing but ling and heather grew.1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 28:
Partridges, enjoying their last weeks of security, rose whirring and clattering from among the ling.1931, Dorothy L. Sayers, The Five Red Herrings: