tern

noun

ˈtərn 

: any of various chiefly marine birds (subfamily Sterninae of the family Laridae and especially genus Sterna) that differ from the related gulls in usually smaller size, a more slender build, a sharply pointed bill, narrower wings, and an often forked tail

Illustration of tern

Examples of tern in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Stoltzfus and his team are deeply involved in protecting the broader Platte River ecosystem, a vital habitat that supports more than 240 species, including terns and bald eagles, year-round. — Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026

Among the birds mostly likely to be flying over Michigan at night are Northern house wrens, Forster's terns, blue-gray gnatcatchers, pectoral sandpipers, American tree sparrows and Caspian terns. — Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 21 Apr. 2026

Located in the wetlands of the San Francisco Bay, the 376-acre Ravenswood preserve is home to wildlife including migrating shorebirds such as dowitchers, American avocets and terns. — Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2026

And in turn the seabirds, terns, frigatebirds, and boobies, feed on those surfacing fish. — Bill Frist, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish terne tern

First Known Use

1678, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tern

• arctic tern
• least tern
• roseate tern
• sooty tern

Rhymes for tern

• churns
• earns
• ferns
• kerns
• learns
• spurns
• sterns
• terns
• turns
• yearns
• adjourns
• concerns

Kids Definition

tern

noun

ˈtərn 

: any of numerous sea birds that often have a forked tail, black cap, and white or gray body and that in comparison to the related gulls have a smaller and slenderer body and bill and narrower wings