Seagull

Seagull

Noun · /ˈsiːɡʌl/ · a large white coastal bird

Definition

A seagull is a large, typically white or grey seabird belonging to the family Laridae, genus Larus. The term is an informal, everyday word for what ornithologists more precisely call a gull. Seagulls are found on virtually every coastline and many inland waterways across the world. They are opportunistic feeders — fish, shellfish, scraps, and almost anything edible — and are known for their loud calls, bold behaviour, and tendency to scavenge from humans. In British English, seagull is the dominant everyday term despite the technical preference for gull in formal bird literature.

Origin

The compound sea plus gull dates to the sixteenth century. The element gull derives from Celtic languages — compare Welsh gwylan and Cornish goolan, both meaning gull — and entered English through contact with coastal Celtic-speaking communities. The fuller compound seagull became established in common use as towns and cities grew and needed a simple everyday word for the bird most associated with the sea and the coast.