guillemot
guillemot Lexical Profile
guillemot Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any of several northern seabirds of the auk family (Alcidae), characterized by black-and-white plumage, short wings adapted for underwater swimming, and a habit of breeding in dense colonies on steep coastal cliffs.
"During the breeding season, the narrow rocky ledges of the island are packed with thousands of nesting guillemots."
Word Nuance & Usage
In British English, 'guillemot' usually refers to birds of the genus Uria, which are known as 'murres' in North America. However, North Americans still use 'guillemot' to refer to a different group of related seabirds in the genus Cepphus.
• Rhymes for guillemot
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from French 'guillemot', derived as a diminutive of the proper name 'Guillaume' (William). It may have been influenced by Celtic terms for seabirds, such as the Breton 'gwilm'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.