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sooty tern

noun
  1. a black and white tern, Sterna fuscata, of small tropical islands.

Origin of sooty tern

First recorded in 1775–85
Also called wide-awake.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for sooty tern

Historical Examples of sooty tern

  • The sooty-tern is sometimes called the sea-swallow, on account of its form and power of flight.

    Wake-Robin

    John Burroughs