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

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

These days voyagers returning to Honolulu have more white terns to track than at any other time in modern history. —ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026

The most endangered is the New Zealand fairy tern, tara iti, with a population of less than 50, including 10 breeding females. —Tom Page, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026

For a special treat, hire a charter and head out to Queen Bess Island to see thousands of nesting brown pelicans, as well as tri-colored herons, great egrets, royal terns, and the elusive roseate spoonbill. —Kristy Christiansen, Southern Living, 31 Dec. 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