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Glite Dictionary
Cepphus grylle

Cepphus grylle

9.9
A seabird that lives in the northern Atlantic and has black feathers with white wing patches
  • proper noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : guillemot negro
  • The Cepphus grylle, commonly known as the black guillemot, can be seen diving for fish in the northern Atlantic.

Examples

  • The Cepphus grylle is easily recognized by its black plumage and distinctive white wing patches.

  • Researchers observed a flock of Cepphus grylle nesting along the rocky coastline.

  • During winter, the Cepphus grylle migrates to more sheltered coastal waters.

  • The Cepphus grylle is often seen near rocky shores.

  • Have you ever spotted a Cepphus grylle in the wild?

  • During summer, the Cepphus grylle displays its striking white wing patches while foraging along the rocky coast.

  • Birdwatchers eagerly await the arrival of the Cepphus grylle as it returns to its nesting sites in the cliffs.

Synonyms

black guillemot
vsCepphus grylle
  • UK
9.4

A medium-sized seabird with mostly black feathers and white patches on its wings

is the same species name but given as the scientific Latin term

Surface Forms

Cepphus grylle main

Morphology

Cepphus + grylle

This is a Latin binomial (proper name) used as a taxonomic label for a species; such names function as arbitrary identifiers rather than compositional phrases. Knowing 'Cepphus' (a group of seabirds) does not allow a learner to infer the specific species sense encoded by 'grylle' (which is not a transparent English word), so the overall meaning is not derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Cepphus grylle may come from old words sailors used for a small sea bird: Cepphus likely comes from an ancient Greek name for a sea bird, and grylle comes from old northern words sailors used for the dark, noisy guillemot. So the two parts together point to the 'black guillemot' we know today.