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loon

 - 6 dictionary results

loon

1  [loon]
Use loon in a Sentence
–noun
any of several large, short-tailed, web-footed, fish-eating diving birds of the genus Gavia, of the Northern Hemisphere.
Origin:
1625–35; perh. alter. of loom 3

loon

2  [loon]
–noun
a crazy or simple-minded person.
Origin:
1400–50; late ME lowen, perh. < ON lūinn worn, tired; later influenced by loon 1 and loony
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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loon 1   (lōōn)   
n.  Any of several fish-eating, diving birds of the genus Gavia of northern regions, having a short tail, webbed feet, and a laughlike cry.

[Perhaps alteration of dialectal loom, guillemot, diver, from Old Norse lōmr.]
loon 2   (lōōn)   
n.   Informal
One who is crazy or deranged.

[Probably from loon1 (from its loud cry) and influenced by lunatic.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

loon  (1)
"diving bird" (esp. the Great Northern Diver), 1634, from a Scand. source (cf. Norw. lom, from O.N. lomr).

loon  (2)
"crazy person," c.1450, lowen "rascal," of uncertain origin, perhaps related to Du. loen "stupid person."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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