Tern
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /tɜːn/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Tern is a noun meaning 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.
Meaning
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.
More Meanings
- (dated or obsolete) A thing with three components; a set of three things.
- (chiefly botany, rare) Consisting of three components; ternate, threefold, triple.
Example Sentences
tern flowers tern leaves
a tern schooner, one with three masts
Word Forms
- terns
- terne
Synonyms for tern
Depending on context, synonyms include ternary, treble, trine, threefold, triadic, trinary.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include scray, sterne, triad, terne, sternid, stern.
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Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.