Alca torda

9.9

A black-and-white sea bird with a thick, sharp beak called the razorbill

noun

Specialized

: Alca torda

The Alca torda is easily distinguished by its striking black-and-white plumage.

Examples

Every spring, large colonies of Alca torda gather on rocky cliffs to breed.
Marine biologists monitor populations of Alca torda to assess the health of coastal ecosystems.
Look! An Alca torda is flying!
What an Alca torda!
Every spring, large colonies of Alca torda gather on rocky cliffs to breed.
Marine biologists monitor populations of Alca torda to assess the health of coastal ecosystems.
The Alca torda is easily distinguished by its striking black-and-white plumage.

Synonyms

razorbill

vsAlca torda

1 8.6

A black-and-white seabird with a strong flat bill that lives in the northern Atlantic

is the scientific Latin name used in classification

razor-billed auk

vsAlca torda

Specialized

9.9

A black-and-white seabird with a thin, sharp bill that catches fish

is the scientific Latin name rather than a descriptive English phrase

Surface Forms

Alca torda singular

Alca tordas plural

Morphology

Alca + torda

This is a Latin binomial scientific name (a taxonomic label) rather than a compositional English phrase: 'Alca' is a genus name and 'torda' is not a meaningful English word. A B1 learner who knows the individual elements would not be able to infer the common-name meaning 'razorbill' from these constituents, so the expression is non-compositional and unpredictable.

Etymology

Alca torda is a scientific name made from old words for these sea birds: Alca was an old name for the auk and torda likely points to its short, sharp bill that looks like a razor, so the bird is still called the 'razorbill' today.