cormorant

[ kawr-mer-uhnt ]

noun

1. any of several voracious, totipalmate seabirds of the family Phalacrocoracidae, as Phalacrocorax carbo, of America, Europe, and Asia, having a long neck and a distensible pouch under the bill for holding captured fish, used in China for catching fish.
2. a greedy person.

cormorant

/ ˈkɔːmərənt /

noun

1. any aquatic bird of the family Phalacrocoracidae, of coastal and inland waters, having a dark plumage, a long neck and body, and a slender hooked beak: order Pelecaniformes (pelicans, etc)

Word History and Origins

Origin of cormorant¹

1300–50; Middle English cormera ( u ) nt < Middle French cormorant, Old French cormareng < Late Latin corvus marīnus sea-raven. See corbel, marine

Word History and Origins

Origin of cormorant¹

C13: from Old French cormareng, from corp raven, from Latin corvus + -mareng of the sea, from Latin mare sea

Example Sentences

Now, the pond was murky, and a cormorant stood hunting at the water’s edge.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2018, there were also claims that Australians tried to rig the contest in favour of the shag - a species of cormorant.

From BBC

“When there was a vibrant fish population in the sea, you would see a lot of pelicans and cormorants and other fish-eating birds,” Shore said.

From Los Angeles Times

DDT was eventually banned in the U.S. in 1972, and its removal led to the return of native species around the nation, including pelicans and cormorants.

From Los Angeles Times

An Antarctic cormorant on western Graham Land was also infected yet apparently unharmed.

From Science Magazine

Related Words

• pig