kittiwake
[ kit-ee-weyk ]
/ ˈkɪt iˌweɪk /
noun
either of two small, pearl-gray gulls of the genus Rissa, the black-legged R. tridactyla of the North Atlantic and the red-legged and red-billed R. brevirostris, of the Bering Sea, both nesting on narrow cliff ledges and having a rudimentary hind toe.
Origin of kittiwake
First recorded in 1655–65; imitative
Words nearby kittiwake
kitten heel,
kitten moth,
kittenish,
kittie,
kittikachorn,
kittiwake,
kittle,
kittredge,
kitty,
kitty hawk,
kitty-cornered
Example sentences from the Web for kittiwake
British Dictionary definitions for kittiwake
kittiwake
/ (ˈkɪtɪˌweɪk) /
noun
either of two oceanic gulls of the genus Rissa, esp R. tridactyla, having a white plumage with pale grey black-tipped wings and a square-cut tail
Word Origin for kittiwake
C17: of imitative origin