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

The adult tern flew tirelessly, looking for fish to feed its young, which patiently waited. —Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025

And seabirds that migrate between these countries and North America face intense environmental challenges, and many of these birds – including the royal tern, snow goose and blackburnian warbler are featured among these images. —New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2025

Globally speaking, the Arctic tern has the longest migration with some from the Netherlands flying over 50,000 miles in one year. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Sep. 2025

But now, with daylight waning, the terns need to head south. —Kate Wong, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2025

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