sea swallow

American  

noun

1. any of several terns, especially Sterna hirundo.

2. British Dialect. any of several small petrels, especially the storm petrel, Hydrobates pelagicus.

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sea swallow British  

noun

1. a popular name for tern 1

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Etymology

Origin of sea swallow

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

Or would it rather evacuate and abandon them, letting the sea swallow the remains of their homes?

From Washington Post • Sep. 2, 2022

I wonder will ever we return, or will the great sea swallow us up?

From Wild Adventures round the Pole The Cruise of the "Snowbird" Crew in the "Arrandoon" by Stables, Gordon

The wing of a white sea swallow never swept a lovelier curve on the breast of the ocean than the line of this valley.

From Her Father's Daughter by Stratton-Porter, Gene

Any moment the ice may crumble beneath our feet and the sea swallow up the entire party.

From The Romance of Polar Exploration Interesting Descriptions of Arctic and Antarctic Adventure from the Earliest Time to the Voyage of the ?Discovery? by Scott, G. Firth

"You are handsome, but may the sea swallow you up before you come back!"

From Mare Nostrum (Our Sea) A Novel by Jordan, Charlotte Brewster