gaviiform seabird

9.9

A bird like a loon that lives on northern lakes and the sea

noun

Specialized

: ave gaviiforme

The haunting calls of the gaviiform seabird are often heard echoing over northern lakes in summer.

Examples

Scientists observed a gaviiform seabird nesting along the remote northern lakeshore.
The gaviiform seabird is known for its excellent diving abilities.
During migration, several species of gaviiform seabird travel long distances between their breeding and wintering grounds.
Many gaviiform seabirds migrate to warmer waters during winter.
During migration, several species of gaviiform seabird travel long distances between their breeding and wintering grounds.
Scientists observed a gaviiform seabird nesting along the remote northern lakeshore.
The haunting calls of the gaviiform seabird are often heard echoing over northern lakes in summer.

Surface Forms

gaviiform seabird singular

gaviiform seabirds plural

Morphology

gaviiform + seabird

If a learner knows 'gaviiform' (relating to the order Gaviiformes or loons) and 'seabird' (a bird of coastal/oceanic areas), they can directly infer that 'gaviiform seabird' means a seabird belonging to the Gaviiformes (i.e., a loon/diver). This is a straightforward adjective+noun taxonomic composition that follows regular English formation patterns and is cross-linguistically common, so the meaning is derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Gaviiform seabird comes from an old Latin word 'gavia' for a sea bird and the ending 'form' meaning 'shape', so gaviiform literally means 'gavia-shaped'. That is why gaviiform seabird refers to sea birds that dive for fish, such as loons or 'divers'.