Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun red_herring

3 senses of red herring

Sense 1
red herring -- (any diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue)
       => diversion, deviation, digression, deflection, deflexion, divagation -- (a turning aside (of your course or attention or concern); "a diversion from the main highway"; "a digression into irrelevant details"; "a deflection from his goal")

Sense 2
red herring, smoked herring -- (a dried and smoked herring having a reddish color)
       => herring -- (valuable flesh of fatty fish from shallow waters of northern Atlantic or Pacific; usually salted or pickled)

Sense 3
preliminary prospectus, red herring -- (a first draft of a prospectus; must be clearly marked to indicate that parts may be changed in the final prospectus; "because some portions of the cover page are printed in red ink a preliminary prospectus is sometimes called a red herring")
       => course catalog, course catalogue, prospectus -- (a catalog listing the courses offered by a college or university)