Illustration of tern
: 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
Examples of tern in a Sentence
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Common bird sightings include gulls, terns, and various shorebirds like piping plovers and red knots.
—
Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 17 June 2025
Several small shorebirds, including plovers, terns, willets and sanderlings, also nest right on the sand on open beaches.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2025
The tara iti season began in December, when there were fewer than 35 terns remaining, officials said, but there were nine active nests and 25 eggs by the middle of the month.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 19 June 2025
But once there, trails connect the bayside to the ocean, and hiking them is a good way to spot one of the island’s rarer bird species, like the American oystercatcher or the Least terns.
—Ryan Krogh, Outside Online, 3 June 2025
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Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 17 June 2025
Several small shorebirds, including plovers, terns, willets and sanderlings, also nest right on the sand on open beaches.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2025
The tara iti season began in December, when there were fewer than 35 terns remaining, officials said, but there were nine active nests and 25 eggs by the middle of the month.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 19 June 2025
But once there, trails connect the bayside to the ocean, and hiking them is a good way to spot one of the island’s rarer bird species, like the American oystercatcher or the Least terns.
—Ryan Krogh, Outside Online, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tern
Cite this Entry
“Tern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tern. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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tern
noun
: 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
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