tern

Meaning

Noun

Any of various seabirds of the subfamily Sterninae (of the family Laridae) that are similar to gulls but are smaller and have a forked tail.

Adj

Consisting of three components; ternate, threefold, triple.

Synonyms

seagull

triplex

sea swallow

threefold

triple

trebling

trine

triplicate

triplicity

black noddy

bridled

three time as much

gull

sea gull

ternary

treble

Translations

sterne

Seeschwalbe

sterna

charrán

stern

fumarel

Sterna

terna

gaviotín

andorinha

sterna

Meerschwalbe

terno

guifette

Pronounced as (IPA)

/tɜːn/

Etymology

Cognate with Danish: terne

Cognate with Norwegian: terne

Cognate with Swedish: tärna

Inherited from Middle English: terne

Cognate with French: terne

In summary

Via an East Anglian dialect, from some Scandinavian (North Germanic) language, related to Danish terne, Norwegian terne, and Swedish tärna, all from Old Norse þerna (“tern; maidservant”), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *þewernā (“handmaid, young girl”). First attested in the 1670s.