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Definition of tern
tern
/tɜːrn/
tern
Plural:terns
tern Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
6
Tier
2
Usage
Rare
tern Game Scores & Validity
Scrabble US
Scrabble UK
WWF
Wordle Guess
• noun
1
A seabird of the family Sternidae, closely related to gulls but typically smaller and more slender, characterized by long pointed wings, a deeply forked tail, and a buoyant, graceful flight.
Example
"The Arctic tern is famous for its incredible migration, traveling from its Arctic breeding grounds to the Antarctic and back every year."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for tern• Rhymes for tern
Word Origin & Etymology
Late 17th century: from Scandinavian sources such as Danish 'terne', Swedish 'tärna', or Norwegian 'tern', ultimately from Old Norse 'þerna'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Tern. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 15, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/tern