alcid

[ al-sid ]

adjective

1. Also al·ci·dine [] of, pertaining, or belonging to the family Alcidae, comprising the auks, murres, puffins, etc.

noun

1. a bird of the family Alcidae.

Word History and Origins

Origin of alcid¹

< New Latin Alcidae name of the family, equivalent to Alc ( a ) an auk genus (< Scandinavian; auk ) + -idae -id ²

Example Sentences

Uria, ū′ri-a, n. a genus of Alcid—the guillemots and murres.

From Project Gutenberg

Alcid: Auks, Puffins, etc.—These birds are found off the coast during migration, but breed on the rocky shores of both coasts.

From Project Gutenberg