noun
tern
TURN/tɜːrn/
A slender seabird related to gulls, often with a forked tail.
The tern banks above the sea with pointed wings and a deeply forked tail.
Etymology
The name came from a Scandinavian bird-name through East Anglian speech. A related Old Norse word, þerna, also meant “tern”; the evidence does not identify the exact Scandinavian source.
In context
This bird lives up to its name as a Common Tern as the most widely distributed tern across North America and much of the world.
More examples
- Several terns nest on the sandy island each summer.
- The tern's narrow wings and forked tail stand out against the sky.
- Arctic terns migrate thousands of miles between their breeding and wintering grounds.
Forms
tern · terns
Similar words
- seabird
- A broader term covering terns and other ocean birds.