puffin

American  

[puhf-in] / ˈpʌf ɪn /

noun

• puffins
  plural

1. any of several alcidine sea birds of the genera Fratercula and Lunda, having a short neck and a large, compressed, grooved bill, as F. arctica Atlantic puffin, of the North Atlantic.

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puffin British  

/ ˈpʌfɪn /

noun

1. any of various northern diving birds of the family Alcidae (auks, etc), esp Fratercula arctica ( common or Atlantic puffin ), having a black-and-white plumage and a brightly coloured vertically flattened bill: order Charadriiformes

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• puffins
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of puffin

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English poffoun, poffin, puffon (compare Anglo-Latin poffo, puffo ); origin uncertain

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Explanation

A puffin is a black and white seabird with a bright orange beak and matching feet. Most puffins live in the northernmost parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Puffins belong to the family of birds known as auks. While puffins' coloring, proximity to the ocean, and fondness for fish make them similar to penguins, the two birds have some major differences. Penguins, which don't fly, have heavy bones that help them swim. Puffins, on the other hand, have hollow bones that assist them in soaring through the air. And while penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere, puffins are only found in the Northern Hemisphere.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

puffin puffins

The puffin and bees also feature on coins, as part of the Royal Mint's redesigned 20p and £1 coins respectively.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

The reserve's manager, David Steel, said the drop was reminiscent of the early 2000s, when puffin numbers fell before recovering in the 2010s.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

Resistance at first was fierce, since the idea had never been tried and putting puffin chicks at risk seemed antithetical to the Audubon Society’s creed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Other popular cruises include excursions run by Cap’n Fish’s Cruises out of Boothbay Harbor to nearby Eastern Egg Rock, a 7-acre rocky island hosting about 80 breeding puffin pairs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Holidays were frivolous and silly, whereas a migration sounded much more serious and responsible, befitting a puffin of the military class.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

It is rich with wildlife including puffins and seals and its rugged landscape makes for breathtaking views.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Like many seabirds, puffins return to their original nesting sites year after year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Sean and Jenny Taggart, 40-something Philadelphia residents on a camping sojourn through nearby Acadia National Park, had their binoculars fixed on puffins swimming off the stern of the tour boat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

While people mainly associate Rathlin Island with puffins, they have returned to the Isle of Muck nature reserve in County Antrim in recent years, after a rat eradication programme.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

“Here the birds are buntings and longspurs. They do not fly to the sea twice a day like the puffins and sandpipers that my father followed.”

From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George

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