guillemot

[ gil-uh-mot ]

noun

1. a black or brown-speckled seabird of the genus Cepphus, of northern seas, having a sharply pointed black bill, red legs, and white wing patches, as C. grylle black guillemot, of the North Atlantic Ocean and the similar C. columba pigeon guillemot of the North Pacific Ocean.
2. British. a murre of the genus Uria.

guillemot

/ ˈɡɪlɪˌmɒt /

noun

1. any northern oceanic diving bird of the genera Uria and Cepphus, having a black-and-white plumage and long narrow bill: family Alcidae (auks, etc), order Charadriiformes

Word History and Origins

Origin of guillemot¹

First recorded in 1670–80; from French, apparently diminutive of Guillaume “William”

Word History and Origins

Origin of guillemot¹

C17: from French, diminutive of Guillaume William

Example Sentences

The bay is also home to harbour porpoise, Atlantic grey seals and a variety of bird life including razorbills and guillemots.

From BBC

There is good news for some of the seabirds that breed in the UK, with the shag moving from the red list to the amber and the black guillemot from the amber to the green.

From BBC

The Northumberland islands - home to puffins, guillemots, razorbills and Arctic, sandwich and common terns - will stay shut for the season.

From BBC

A census carried out by the charity found the numbers of fulmars, guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes on the remote archipelago has fallen dramatically.

From BBC

NatureScot said avian flu had been confirmed in sandwich terns, common terns, kittiwakes, herring gulls, black-headed gulls and guillemots so far this year.

From BBC