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herring gull

American

noun

a common, large gull, Larus argentatus, of the Northern Hemisphere.

herring gull British

noun

a common gull, Larus argentatus, that has a white plumage with black-tipped wings and pink legs

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of herring gull

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The herring gull was already on the list.

From Salon • Oct. 20, 2024

Every herring gull had a half-chewed herring at its feet.

From Slate • Feb. 4, 2024

On one outing, Dee was pleased to see a herring gull “dozing on its nest” at the base of a 2-foot-high plastic owl meant to scare the birds away.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 20, 2019

A few species, including the herring gull and the roseate spoonbill, were brought dangerously close to extinction.

From New York Times • Aug. 29, 2019

I turned away and found a perch on a pylon where a herring gull had been keeping watch but was now down among the baitfish, guzzling its lunch.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023