puffin

[ puhf-in ]

/ ˈpʌf ɪn /

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noun

any of several alcidine sea birds of the genera Fratercula and Lunda, having a short neck and a large, compressed, grooved bill, as F. arctica(Atlantic puffin ), of the North Atlantic.

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Origin of puffin

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English poffoun, poffin, puffon (compare Anglo-Latin poffo, puffo ); origin uncertain

Words nearby puffin

puffball, puffbird, puffed-up, puffer, puffery, puffin, puffin crossing, puff paste, puff pastry, puff piece, puff-puff

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use puffin in a sentence

Bird flu has even become a conservation problem, as the new strain is infecting twice as many species as during the 2015 outbreak, including vulnerable species like puffins and the endangered bald eagle, along with more mammals than usual.
Vaccinate the turkeys (and the chickens)|Kenny Torrella|November 22, 2022|Vox
Unfortunately, declines in puffin numbers due to climate change and other human activity have led to season cutbacks in recent years.
10 ways people hunt and fish without bullets or hooks|Steven Hill/Field & Stream|October 4, 2021|Popular-Science
For the adventurous, try the reindeer or puffin; for those feeling fishy, go for arctic char or the array of sushi.
Gal With a Suitcase|Jolie Hunt|November 13, 2009|DAILY BEAST
You won't keep him long, you know, for Puffin's a man certain of good preferment.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume II (of 3)|Charles James Wills

Puffin wore his hair very long indeed, while the whole of his face was clean shaven.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume II (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Puffin would write all the letters; and as for the lawsuits, you would win them, and the costs would not come out of your pocket.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume II (of 3)|Charles James Wills
The vicar and his wife looked at one another; but they respected Mr. Puffin's prejudices, and ceased to press him.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume II (of 3)|Charles James Wills
He had even told Miss Grains that he looked upon Mr. Puffin as a "philanderer," and that "he didn't hold with philanderers."
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume II (of 3)|Charles James Wills

British Dictionary definitions for puffin

puffin

/ (ˈpʌfɪn) /

noun

any of various northern diving birds of the family Alcidae (auks, etc), esp Fratercula arctica (common or Atlantic puffin), having a black-and-white plumage and a brightly coloured vertically flattened bill: order Charadriiformes

Word Origin for puffin

C14: perhaps of Cornish origin

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