guillemot

noun

guil·​le·​mot ˈgi-lə-ˌmät How to pronounce guillemot (audio)
1
British : a common murre (Uria aalge)
2
: any of a genus (Cepphus) of narrow-billed auks of northern seas

Examples of guillemot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Puffins wheel overhead, while fulmars and guillemots cling to cliff ledges like notes on a stave. Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025 The second webcam will cover the rugged cliffs where puffins, guillemots, razorbills, shags, and various species of gull typically gather. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 15 May 2025 The seabirds that make this annual migration to breed also include cliff-nesting birds such as razorbills, guillemots, and kittiwakes, ground nesting birds such as terns (Arctic, Common and Roseate), and the endangered puffins. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 15 May 2025 These include the Western gull, cormorants, and the pigeon guillemot, which are legally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Kate Talerico, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2025 There, guests spend their days scanning the dizzying cliff sides for puffins, guillemots, and razorbills, and their nights scanning the sky for signs of the aurora. Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 15 Apr. 2025 This suspenseful, charming tale begins in Yorkshire in 1926, when young Celie Sheppard daringly plucks a guillemot egg — coveted by collectors for their unusual shape and gorgeous, unique shell designs — from the side of a cliff. Sarah Lyall, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025 Species such as puffins and guillemots, which inhabit nearby coastal cliffs, are especially at risk. Jesus Mesa, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025 More than 250,000 birds nest there every year, including impressive numbers of guillemots and razorbills. Lauren Lowman, WIRED, 15 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French, diminutive of Guillaume William

First Known Use

circa 1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of guillemot was circa 1672

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Cite this Entry

“Guillemot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guillemot. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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