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Definition of harbor seal

harbor seal

(UK: harbour seal)
Plural:harbor seals
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harbor seal Lexical Profile

• noun

1

American A widely distributed, true earless seal (Phoca vitulina) found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere, characterized by its spotted coat and tendency to rest in shallow coastal habitats.

Example

"During our kayak trip along the Californian coast, we spotted a harbor seal sunning itself on a rocky outcropping."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for harbor seal

Word Nuance & Usage

Often confused with sea lions, harbor seals lack external ear flaps and move on land by undulating rather than walking on their flippers.

• Nearby Words

harare
harbin
harbor porpoise
harbor seal
hardenbergia
hardhead catfish
hardraw

Word Origin & Etymology

A compound of 'harbor' (reflecting their tendency to frequent coastal waters, bays, and human harbors) and 'seal' (from Old English 'seolh').

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Harbor seal. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 15, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/harbor seal
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