noddy
Americannoun
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any of several dark-bodied terns of the genera Anous and Micranous found about the coasts and islands in warm seas of both the New and Old Worlds, often so tame as to seem stupid.
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a fool or simpleton; noodle.
noun
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any of several tropical terns of the genus Anous, esp A. stolidus ( common noddy ), typically having a dark plumage
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a fool or dunce
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of noddy
1520–30; perhaps noun use of obsolete noddy (adj.) silly. See nod, -y 1
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.
See Examples For:
He captured this lesser noddy caught in a collosal spider's net on the Seychelles island.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2013
We saw bonito tuna in schools jumping while noddy terns dove into the water.
From New York Times ● Sep. 23, 2011
One morning early, Jean-Marie led forth the Doctor’s noddy, opened the gate, and mounted to the driving-seat.
From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson Swanston Edition Vol. 6 (of 25) by Stevenson, Robert Louis
Their entrance into Gretz was heralded and accompanied by a most furious barking; all the dogs in the village seemed to smell the treasure in the noddy.
From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson Swanston Edition Vol. 6 (of 25) by Stevenson, Robert Louis
Perchance some felon sprit may haunt our house indeed; And then chwere but a noddy to venture where cha' no need.
From Gammer Gurton's Needle by Art, Mr. S. Mr. of
But a staff investigation reportedly found that no fake "noddies" had ever been broadcast.
From BBC ● May 25, 2025
And if vegetation was restored to three quarters of these islands' surface area then that could lead to more than 280,000 breeding pairs of lesser noddies, sooty terns and red-footed boobies.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 2024
Their modelling shows that if rats were removed from these 25 islands that could result in populations of lesser noddies, sooty terns and red-footed boobies recovering to nearly 24,000 breeding pairs -- an 18-fold increase.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 2024
There are also nesting colonies of roughly 100,000 sooty terns, smaller groups of great frigatebirds, black and brown noddies, white terns, and tropicbirds.
From Science Magazine ● Aug. 27, 2020
The doctor said he could find neither a plant nor a lichen on the island, and only a few insects and spiders, besides the boobies and noddies.
From A Voyage round the World A book for boys by Kingston, William Henry Giles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
