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; see three

Explanation

A tern is a small seabird with a long tail. Most terns are white or light gray, and they're found on every single continent. Many terns are migratory, flying thousands of miles every year—in fact, Arctic terns may fly as many as 43,000 miles during their annual migration. Terns are a type of gull, with a small, slender body, forked tail, and narrow wings. The Old English word for this type of bird was stearn, and the roots of tern can be traced back to a Scandinavian source.

Example Sentences

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

From BBC • Dec. 3, 2025

Of note, the scientists found all these mutations also in the tern, the first such finding.

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2024

That could damage habitats for local wildlife, including the endangered Texas hornshell mussel and the least tern, a small bird that nests along rivers, and affect the Monarch butterfly that migrates through the area.

From Reuters • Aug. 11, 2023

Signs also warn that the area is a habitat for the plover and the least tern.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 1, 2023

The most they saw that day was a school of silver pannies swimming south, but never a dolphin leapt nor did the flight of gull or murre or tern break the grey air.

From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Related Words

• vessel
• yacht