common seal

3.8

A small, spotted sea animal that lives on cold northern coasts

noun
/ˈkɑːmən siːl/

: foca común

The common seal is often seen resting on sandbanks along the British coastline.

Examples

A group of common seals basked on the rocks as the tide came in.
Researchers are studying the migration patterns of the common seal in the North Atlantic.
The common seal is often seen basking on rocks.
I spotted a common seal while kayaking in the bay.
A group of common seals basked on the rocks as the tide came in.
The common seal is often seen resting on sandbanks along the British coastline.
Researchers are studying the migration patterns of the common seal in the North Atlantic.

Synonyms

harbor seal

vscommon seal

1 3.9

A small spotted seal that lives along coasts in the Northern Hemisphere

is broader, covering coastal populations across the whole Northern Hemisphere

Phoca vitulina

vscommon seal

Specialized

9.9

A small spotted seal that lives along coasts in the Northern Hemisphere and is called the harbor seal

is the common everyday name rather than the scientific Latin term

Surface Forms

common seal singular

common seals plural

Morphology

common + seal

This is a compositional adjective + noun phrase: 'common' (typical/frequent) modifying 'seal' (marine mammal), so a B1 learner who knows both words will infer it refers to a seal that is common or typical. The construction matches common cross-linguistic patterns for species or type names, making the meaning directly derivable from its parts.

Etymology

Common seal: The compound name common seal comes from the fact this small, spotted seal was the common one people saw along coasts, with 'common' meaning 'seen often'. So the name points to the seal you are most likely to see on the shore.