Meanings
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1
noun
a northern seabird of the auk family, especially one of the genera Uria or Cepphus, with dark upperparts and strong underwater swimming ability
A guillemot carried a fish back to its nesting ledge on the cliff.
Thesaurus
Synonyms
Word family
Forms
guillemots
Derived forms
common guillemotblack guillemot
Related forms
AlcidaeUriaCepphusrazorbillpuffin
Etymology
Borrowed from French guillemot. The French bird name may be a diminutive based on the personal name Guillaume, the equivalent of William, although the reason for that naming and the word's deeper history are uncertain.