tern
pronunciation
How to pronounce tern in British English:
UK [tɜ:n]
How to pronounce tern in American English:
US [tɜrn]
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- Noun:
- small slender gull having narrow wings and a forked tail
Word Origin
- tern (n.)
- gull-like shore bird (subfamily Sterninae), 1670s, via East Anglian dialect, from a Scandinavian source (compare Danish terne, Swedish tärna, Færoese terna) related to Old Norse þerna "tern" (also "maid-servant"), cognate with Old English stearn.
Example
- 1. Discussion on taking photos at tern islands - terns .
- 2. Storms in june decimated the arctic tern population in northumberland 's beadnall bay .
- 3. Our school football tern is made up of 16 members .
- 4. Common tern of eurasia and america having white black and gray plumage .
- 5. A curlew called and a tern fished the estuary ; house martins were gathering , preparing for migration .