puffin
puffin
Definition
puf·fin (puf′in)
noun
any of various northern alcidine shorebirds (esp. genus Fratercula) black above and white below, with a short neck, ducklike body, and a large, brightly colored, triangular beak
Etymology: ME poffin < ? assoc. by folk etym. with puff, because of the enormous beak or blown-up appearance of the young
puffin
Usage Examples
Converse of object
- watch: Watch the puffins nesting on Bass Rock and the sun rising over the Firth of Tay.
- see: Or why not take a minibus tour to see the puffins or a cruise to see the local dolphins?
- include: The islands also abound with a wide variety of sea birds including puffins.
- find: Found puffin, eventually, who called me a geek for wanting to see Star Wars.
- eat: My father in his defense wishes it pointed out that he only ate the puffin because it was the cheapest item on the menu.
- spot: You may be lucky enough to spend virtually the whole trip surrounded by dolphins cavorting beside you and also spot some puffins.
Preposition: on
- cliff: Trip includes a short walk to see puffins on spectacular cliffs.
Adjective modifier
- few: However there were few puffins in evidence probably they were out at sea looking for sandeels for their young.
- first: We then had to catch a boat over to the island & I saw my first puffin.
- new: Existing Ryder Street pedestrian subway closed with alternative route via new surface PUFFIN crossing on James Watt Queensway.
- colorful: And don't forget the colorful puffins and sea ducks - they're all at home in this unique environment.
- young: By August, the young puffins have left the cliffs to spend the winter on the North Sea.
- little: Although no cetacean was sighted, we saw many sea-birds ( even the little cute puffins ) and seals.
Modifies a noun
- crossing: Puffin crossings are an updated version of a Pelican Crossing.
- chick: When the puffin chick hatches, it is fed by the parents until it is ready to fly.
- colony: The Ranger will arrange to take you to the nearest Puffin colony, just 500m from the Observatory.
- book: Puffin Books A site for every young book lover.
- population: The total UK puffin population is estimated to be around 900,000, about 10 % of the world's population.
- number: Figure 1. Development of puffin numbers in two of the largest UK colonies.
Noun used with modifier
- course: All the courses Puffin teach use the superb facilities of the state of the art classrooms.
Browse dictionary entries near puffin
- puffery
- Puffer, Stefan Case
- puffer
- puffed
- puffball
- puff pastry
- puff adder
- puff
- Puerto Rico
- puerperium
- puffing
- puffy
- pug
- pug nose
- Puget Sound
- puggree
- pugilism
- pugilist
- Puglia
- pugnacious
