tern — English Dictionary

Noun

1. Any of various seabirds of the subfamily Sterninae (of the family Laridae) that are similar to gulls but are smaller and have a forked tail.

   Related words

   sea swallow

   Narrower terms

   angel ternarctic ternblack ternbridled ternCabot's ternCaspian terncommic terncommon terncrested ternfairy ternForster's terngreater crested terngull-billed ternhooded ternleast ternlesser crested ternlittle ternmarsh ternriver ternroseate ternrosy ternroyal ternsandwich ternSandwich ternsooty ternswift ternwhiskered ternwhite ternwhite-winged ternWilson's tern

Noun

1. A thing with three components; a set of three things.

   Usage

   • Dated
   • Obsolete

2. A thing with three components; a set of three things. A lottery prize resulting from the favourable combination of three numbers in the draw.

   Usage

   • Dated
   • Obsolete

   Examples

   And yet, now even, if Madonna willed, / She'd win a tern in Thursday's lottery, / And better all things.

Adjective

1. Consisting of three components; ternate, threefold, triple.

   Usage

   • not-comparable
   • Rare

   Synonyms

   ternarytrebletrine

   Examples

   tern flowers tern leaves

   a tern schooner, one with three masts

Noun

1. small slender gull having narrow wings and a forked tail

   Broader terms

   larid