Word Study
Puffin
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Noun Puffin has 1 sense
- puffin(n = noun.animal) - any of two genera of northern seabirds having short necks and brightly colored compressed bills; is a kind of sea bird, seabird, seafowl
is a member of alcidae, family alcidae
has particulars: atlantic puffin, fratercula arctica, fratercula corniculata, horned puffin, lunda cirrhata, tufted puffin
CIDE DICTIONARY
Puffin, n. [Akin to puff.].
- An arctic sea bird
Fratercula arctica ) allied to the auks, and having a short, thick, swollen beak, whence the name; -- called alsobottle nose ,cockandy ,coulterneb ,marrot ,mormon ,pope , andsea parrot . [1913 Webster]" The name is also applied to other related species, as the horned puffin (Fratercula corniculata ), the tufted puffin (Lunda cirrhata ), and the razorbill." [1913 Webster] - The puffball. [1913 Webster]
- A sort of apple. Rider's Dict. (1640). [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
Puffin, n. any of various sea birds of the family Alcidae native to the N. Atlantic and N. Pacific, esp. Fratercula arctica, having a large head with a brightly coloured triangular bill, and black and white plumage.
Etymology
ME poffin, pophyn, of unkn. orig.
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