least tern
noun
: a very small black-capped tern (Sterna antillarum) with a white body and forehead that is found chiefly in coastal areas of eastern North America and California
Examples of least tern in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Nearly 200 species of birds have been spotted in the wetlands, including the endangered California least tern.
—
Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2024
Last summer, researchers found three of them in the nesting area of least terns, small seabirds with black caps and smoky gray plumage that are declining in parts of the US.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 21 May 2024
New requirements to avoid construction during the Californian least tern nesting season, from April 15 to July 31, have extended the project’s schedule from two-and-a-half years to four years, also adding to the cost.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2024
Federal agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service, monitor the effect of the blasts on such animals as sea otters, bats, western snowy plovers, California least terns and California red-legged frogs.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for least tern 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2024
Last summer, researchers found three of them in the nesting area of least terns, small seabirds with black caps and smoky gray plumage that are declining in parts of the US.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 21 May 2024
New requirements to avoid construction during the Californian least tern nesting season, from April 15 to July 31, have extended the project’s schedule from two-and-a-half years to four years, also adding to the cost.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2024
Federal agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service, monitor the effect of the blasts on such animals as sea otters, bats, western snowy plovers, California least terns and California red-legged frogs.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for least tern
Dictionary Entries Near least tern
Cite this Entry
“Least tern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/least%20tern. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share