gannet

noun

gan·​net ˈga-nət How to pronounce gannet (audio)
plural gannets also gannet
: any of a genus (Morus of the family Sulidae, the gannet family) of large fish-eating seabirds that breed in colonies chiefly on offshore islands

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There are three oceanic bird species called gannet. They are found in the North Atlantic, where they are the largest seabirds, and in temperate seas around Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. The adults are mainly white with black-tipped wing feathers and a large, yellowish or buff-colored head, with black around the eyes. They have a tapered beak and pointed tail. They dive with half-closed wings to catch fish and squid. They waddle on land, but are expert fliers, spending most of their lives over water. They nest in dense colonies on cliffs. The largest species is the 40-in (100-cm) northern gannet.

Examples of gannet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Yet these birds are perhaps more famous for their dramatic hunting behavior, which sees flocks of gannets diving like vertical torpedoes from dozens of feet above the water’s surface. Liz Lindqwister, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 July 2024 This Atlantic-dwelling gannet subspecies lives up to its name in more ways than one: Taxonomists apparently chose the genus name because of the gannet’s fearlessness when approached on their nesting grounds. Liz Lindqwister, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 July 2024 Boat rides to Little St. Simon Island give crews the chance to spot spoonbills and gannets. Lindsay Cohn, Parents, 13 May 2024 This year’s grand prize winner for the World Nature Photographer of the Year is Tracey Lund, for her fantastic shot of two gannets going after the same fish (seen above). Isaac Schultz / Gizmodo, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gannet 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gannet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ganate, gante, going back to Old English ganot, ganet "a seabird, probably Morus bassanus," going back to Germanic *ganuta- "gander" (whence Middle Dutch ghent "gander," Old High German ganazzo, ganzo), from *gan- (base of *gan-s- "goose") + *-uta-, suffix of animal names — more at goose entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gannet was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near gannet

Cite this Entry

“Gannet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gannet. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

gannet

noun
gan·​net ˈgan-ət How to pronounce gannet (audio)
plural gannets also gannet
: any of several large fish-eating seabirds that breed chiefly on offshore islands

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