A pollock is most commonly a type of white fish in the cod family that lives in the cold waters of the North Atlantic and North Pacific.

Basic definition

  • In everyday use, pollock (also spelled pollack) refers to several species of marine fish closely related to cod, especially Atlantic pollock (Pollachius virens and Pollachius pollachius) and Alaska pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus).
  • These fish are important commercial species, widely used in products like fish fillets, fish sticks, and imitation crab.

What the fish is like

  • Pollock are elongated fish with a greenish to dark back, pale sides, and a lighter belly, typically with a noticeable lateral line along the body.
  • Atlantic pollock can reach around 1.1–1.3 m in length and tens of kilograms in weight, while Alaska pollock usually grows to about 90 cm and under 4 kg.

How pollock is used in food

  • Pollock is considered a mild-tasting whitefish similar to cod or haddock, making it popular in fried, baked, or processed seafood dishes.
  • It is often used in fish and chips, frozen fish portions, fish fingers, and as a base for imitation crab meat (surimi).

Other meanings of “Pollock”

  • Jackson Pollock is the surname of a famous American abstract expressionist painter known for his drip painting technique.
  • In some dictionaries, “a Pollock” can also informally mean a painting by Jackson Pollock.

Forum and slang nuances

  • Some forum or slang uses may play on spelling similarities with “Polack,” which is an ethnic slur for a person of Polish origin; this term is considered offensive and is unrelated to the fish.
  • In certain UK contexts, “pollock” can be used jokingly or insultingly, but this is not a standard or widely accepted meaning and can be interpreted as rude depending on tone and context.

TL;DR: A pollock is mainly a cod-like white fish widely used in processed seafood, though the word can also refer to the painter Jackson Pollock or, in some slang contexts, be used as a mild or derivative insult.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.