cormorant

noun

cor·​mo·​rant ˈkȯrm-rənt 

ˈkȯr-mə-,

ˈkȯr-mə-ˌrant

1

: any of various dark-colored web-footed waterbirds (family Phalacrocoracidae, especially genus Phalacrocorax) that have a long neck, hooked bill, and distensible throat pouch

2

: a gluttonous, greedy, or rapacious person

Illustration of cormorant

Synonyms

• glutton
• gorger
• gormandizer
• gourmand
• hog
• overeater
• pig
• stuffer
• swiller

Examples of cormorant in a Sentence

Diamond Jim Brady was perhaps the most celebrated cormorant of the Gilded Age.

Recent Examples on the Web

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 have been 10 birds rescued — nine pelicans and one cormorant. —Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025

Rayner will also be looking out for pelicans, ducks and cormorants. —Nicole Cobler, Axios, 14 Feb. 2025

But the real sell is a small-ship safari through the Danube Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage site set across 580,000 hectares, home to over 300 species of birds from pygmy cormorants to Europe’s largest population of white pelicans. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cormeraunt, from Middle French cormorant, from Old French cormareng, from corp raven + marenc of the sea, from Latin marinus — more at corbel, marine

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cormorant

• double-crested cormorant

Kids Definition

cormorant

noun

cor·​mo·​rant ˈkȯrm-(ə-)rənt 

ˈkȯr-mə-ˌrant

: any of various dark-colored web-footed seabirds with a long neck, a hooked bill, and a patch of bare often brightly colored skin under the mouth