Tern Definition | Definition of Tern at Dictionary.com

tern

1 [turn]

–noun

any of numerous aquatic birds of the subfamily Sterninae of the family Laridae, related to the gulls but usually having a more slender body and bill, smaller feet, a long, deeply forked tail, and a more graceful flight, esp. those of the genus Sterna, as S. hirundo (common tern), of Eurasia and America, having white, black, and gray plumage.

Origin:
1670–80; < Dan terne or Norw terna; c. ON therna

tern

2 [turn]

–noun

1.	a set of three.

2.	three winning numbers drawn together in a lottery.

3.	a prize won by drawing these.

Origin:
1300–50; ME terne < MF < It terno < L ternus, sing. of ternī three each, triad, akin to ter thrice; see three

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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tern¹ (tûrn)

n. Any of various sea birds of the genus Sterna and related genera, related to and resembling the gulls but characteristically smaller and having a forked tail.

[Of Scandinavian origin.]

tern² (tûrn)

Games A set of three, especially a combination of three numbers that wins a lottery.
A three-masted schooner.

[Middle English terne, from Old French, from ternes, from Latin ternās, accusative pl. of ternī, three each, from ter, thrice; see trei- in Indo-European roots.]

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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Tern

Tern\ (t[~e]rn), n. [Dan. terne, t[ae]rne; akin to Sw. t["a]rna, Icel. [thorn]erna; cf. NL. sterna.] (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of long-winged aquatic birds, allied to the gulls, and belonging to Sterna and various allied genera.

Note: Terns differ from gulls chiefly in their graceful form, in their weaker and more slender bills and feet, and their longer and more pointed wings. The tail is usually forked. Most of the species are white with the back and wings pale gray, and often with a dark head. The common European tern (Sterna hirundo) is found also in Asia and America. Among other American species are the arctic tern (S. paradis[ae]a), the roseate tern (S. Dougalli), the least tern (S. Antillarum), the royal tern (S. maxima), and the sooty tern (S. fuliginosa).

Hooded tern. See Fairy bird, under Fairy.

Marsh tern, any tern of the genus Hydrochelidon. They frequent marshes and rivers and feed largely upon insects.

River tern, any tern belonging to Se["e]na or allied genera which frequent rivers.

Sea tern, any tern of the genus Thalasseus. Terns of this genus have very long, pointed wings, and chiefly frequent seas and the mouths of large rivers.

Tern

Tern\, a. [L. pl. terni three each, three; akin to tres three. See Three, and cf. Trine.] Threefold; triple; consisting of three; ternate.

Tern flowers (Bot.), flowers growing three and three together.

Tern leaves (Bot.), leaves arranged in threes, or three by three, or having three in each whorl or set.

Tern peduncles (Bot.), three peduncles growing together from the same axis.

Tern schooner (Naut.), a three-masted schooner.

Tern

Tern\, n. [F. terne. See Tern, a.] That which consists of, or pertains to, three things or numbers together; especially, a prize in a lottery resulting from the favorable combination of three numbers in the drawing; also, the three numbers themselves.

She'd win a tern in Thursday's lottery. --Mrs. Browning.

Language Translation for : tern

Spanish: cuadro,

German: das Karomuster,

Japanese: 格子縞模様

More Translations »

tern

gull-like shore bird (subfamily Sterninae), 1678, via E.Anglian dialect, from a Scand. source (cf. Dan. terne, Swed. tärna, Færoese terna) related to O.N. þerna "tern," cognate with O.E. stearn "starling."

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