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COBUILD frequency band
puffin in British English
noun
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C14: perhaps of Cornish origin COBUILD frequency band
puffin in American English
nounOrigin: ME poffin < ? assoc. by folk etym. with puff, because of the enormous beak or blown-up appearance of the young
any of various northern alcidine shorebirds (esp. genus Fratercula) black above and white below, with a short neck, ducklike body, and a large, brightly colored, triangular beak
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 5th Digital Edition. Copyright © 2025 HarperCollins Publishers.
COBUILD frequency band
puffin in American English
(ˈpʌfɪn)
noun
any of several alcidine sea birds of the genera Fratercula and Lunda, having a short neck and a large, compressed, grooved bill, as F. arctica (Atlantic puffin), of the North Atlantic
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019 by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1300–50; ME poffoun, poffin, puffon (cf. AL poffo, puffo); orig. uncert.]Examples of 'puffin' in a sentence puffin
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Word lists with puffin
related adjectives homes and habitations birdQuick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
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Which bird am I?
a Pacific migratory bird with a metallic green-gold plumage
Which bird am I?
any of several birds with a racket-shaped tail, such as certain hummingbirds and kingfishers
Which bird am I?
any of various American orioles of the genera Molothrus, Tangavius, etc, esp M. ater (common or brown-headed cowbird). They have a dark plumage and short bill
Which bird am I?
any terrestrial bird of the family Otididae, inhabiting open regions of the Old World: order Gruiformes (cranes, rails, etc). They have long strong legs, a heavy body, a long neck, and speckled plumage
Which bird am I?
a ground-living nocturnal parrot, Strigops habroptilus, of New Zealand, resembling an owl
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