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murrelet

[ mur-lit ]
/ ˈmɜr lɪt /
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noun
any of several small, chunky diving birds of the family Alcidae, of North Pacific coasts.
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Origin of murrelet

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75; murre + -let
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use murrelet in a sentence

  • Craveri Murrelet is very similar to the last except that the under surfaces of the wings are dusky.

    The Bird Book|Chester A. Reed
  • This species is very similar to the Marbled Murrelet, the chief difference being in the bill which is shorted.

    The Bird Book|Chester A. Reed

British Dictionary definitions for murrelet

murrelet
/ (ˈmɜːlɪt) /

noun
any of several small diving birds of the genus Brachyramphus and related genera, similar and related to the auks: family Alcidae, order Charadriiformes

Word Origin for murrelet

C19: from murre + -let
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
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