Arctic tern

or arctic tern

noun

1. a tern, Sterna paradisaea, resembling the common tern, that breeds in Arctic and north temperate regions and winters in Antarctic regions.

arctic tern

noun

1. a black-capped tern, Sterna paradisea, that breeds in the Arctic and then migrates as far south as the Antarctic

Word History and Origins

Origin of Arctic tern¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

It becomes rarer in Scotland, where it is largely replaced by the Arctic Tern.

From Project Gutenberg

Made a drawing of the Arctic Tern, of which a great number breed here.

From Project Gutenberg

They nest on islands off the coast of Alaska, sometimes together with the Arctic Tern.

From Project Gutenberg