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black tern

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Definition of black tern

: any of several very small short-tailed terns with largely dark gray or black plumage that breed in marshes and constitute a genus (Chlidonias) of nearly cosmopolitan distribution

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Cite this Entry

“Black tern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black%20tern. Accessed 26 May. 2022.

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