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herring gull

American

noun

a common, large gull, Larus argentatus, of the Northern Hemisphere.

herring gull British

noun

a common gull, Larus argentatus, that has a white plumage with black-tipped wings and pink legs

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of herring gull

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The herring gull was already on the list.

From Salon • Oct. 20, 2024

Every herring gull had a half-chewed herring at its feet.

From Slate • Feb. 4, 2024

Gulls are long-lived — life spans of 20 years are not unheard of, and one of the oldest on record was a 49-year-old herring gull.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 20, 2019

A few species, including the herring gull and the roseate spoonbill, were brought dangerously close to extinction.

From New York Times • Aug. 29, 2019

It was pearl gray and white winged, a young herring gull with a wide, flaring breast, and it seemed to be watching him, too.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023