tern

¹ American  

[turn] / tɜrn /

noun

1. any of numerous aquatic birds of the subfamily Sterninae of the family Laridae, related to the gulls but usually having a more slender body and bill, smaller feet, a long, deeply forked tail, and a more graceful flight, especially those of the genus Sterna, as S. hirundo common tern, of Eurasia and America, having white, black, and gray plumage.

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tern ² American  

[turn] / tɜrn /

noun

1. a set of three.

2. three winning numbers drawn together in a lottery.

3. a prize won by drawing these.

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tern ¹ British  

/ tɜːn /

noun

1. a three-masted schooner

2. rare a group of three

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tern ² British  

/ tɜːn /

noun

1. any aquatic bird of the subfamily Sterninae, having a forked tail, long narrow wings, a pointed bill, and a typically black-and-white plumage: family Laridae (gulls, etc), order Charadriiformes

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Etymology

Origin of tern¹

First recorded in 1670–80; from Danish terne or Norwegian terna; cognate with Old Norse therna

Origin of tern²

1300–50; Middle English terne < Middle French < Italian terno < Latin ternus, singular of ternī three each, triad, akin to ter thrice; three

Example Sentences

The area is known for seals and also has the largest tern and black-headed gull colony in mainland Scotland.

From BBC

There were seagulls and puffins and cormorants and vultures and skuas and terns and sandpipers and eagles and every other type of northern bird, all flying together.

From Literature

Pelicans and terns swooped and dove around us.

From Los Angeles Times

Conservation and management of the least Bell’s vireo, California least tern, and western snowy plover have resulted in significant increases to on-base populations of these species, according to the agency.

From Los Angeles Times

You may see the California least tern, a protected bird that summers on SoCal beaches and then heads south to Mexico and Central America for the winter.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• vessel
• yacht