Illustration of tern
: any of various chiefly marine birds (subfamily Sterninae of the family Laridae and especially genus Sterna) that differ from the related gulls in usually smaller size, a more slender build, a sharply pointed bill, narrower wings, and an often forked tail
Examples of tern in a Sentence
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Those birds, following Lake Michigan’s shoreline, include raptors, waterfowl, gulls, terns and shorebirds.
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Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2025
Two white-cheeked terns fight for territory in the heart of Kubbar Island, Kuwait, where the summer sun blazes relentlessly.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
Once the young have left the nest, Forster’s terns often migrate to the coasts.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 June 2024
Throughout the marshes and along sandy beaches, visitors will see pelicans wading around piers with their gular pouches full of fish, ospreys, warblers, terns, herons, egrets, black-necked stilts, and roseate spoonbills, which are a vibrant bubblegum-pink color, due to their shrimp diet.
—Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2025
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Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2025
Two white-cheeked terns fight for territory in the heart of Kubbar Island, Kuwait, where the summer sun blazes relentlessly.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
Once the young have left the nest, Forster’s terns often migrate to the coasts.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 June 2024
Throughout the marshes and along sandy beaches, visitors will see pelicans wading around piers with their gular pouches full of fish, ospreys, warblers, terns, herons, egrets, black-necked stilts, and roseate spoonbills, which are a vibrant bubblegum-pink color, due to their shrimp diet.
—Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tern
Cite this Entry
“Tern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tern. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
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tern
noun
: any of numerous sea birds that often have a forked tail, black cap, and white or gray body and that in comparison to the related gulls have a smaller and slenderer body and bill and narrower wings
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