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murrelet

American

[mur-lit] / ˈmɜr lɪt /

noun

any of several small, chunky diving birds of the family Alcidae, of North Pacific coasts.

murrelet British

/ ˈmɜːlɪt /

noun

any of several small diving birds of the genus Brachyramphus and related genera, similar and related to the auks: family Alcidae, order Charadriiformes

"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 murrelet

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75; murre + -let

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.

Steller's jays, crows and ravens are the main predators of murrelet nests.

From Science Daily • May 2, 2024

"Next, we're testing whether murrelet sounds can actually predict reproduction and occupancy in the species, but that is still a few steps off," Betts said.

From Science Daily • May 2, 2024

With no terrestrial predators to steal their eggs, these islands are breeding sanctuaries for ground- and cliff-nesting seabirds like the western gull, Scripps’s murrelet and the ashy storm petrel.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2023

Endangered species such as the northern spotted owl, marbled murrelet and Pacific fisher also live there.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 9, 2021

Caught in the hubbub is the marbled murrelet, a zippy, robin-sized bird that spends time in coastal waters and nests in Washington forests.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 30, 2019

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