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Glite Dictionary
great black-backed gull

great black-backed gull

8.1
A large white sea bird with black back and wings found on North Atlantic coasts
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : gaviota de espalda negra
  • We spotted a great black-backed gull soaring over the rocky coastline.

Examples

  • The great black-backed gull is known for its aggressive behavior compared to other gull species.

  • Many great black-backed gulls can be seen along the coast.

  • A great black-backed gull was nesting on the deserted island.

  • The great black-backed gull is known for its size.

  • A great black-backed gull was nesting on the deserted island.

  • We spotted a great black-backed gull soaring over the rocky coastline.

  • The great black-backed gull is known for its aggressive behavior compared to other gull species.

Synonyms

gull
vsgreat black-backed gull
27 2.0

A medium to large white seabird with long pointed wings and short legs

is a single distinct large species, not the broad bird group
Larus marinus
vsgreat black-backed gull
  • Specialized
9.6

A large white sea bird with a black back and wings on North Atlantic coasts

is the common English name rather than the Latin term
black-backed gull
vsgreat black-backed gull
7.5

A large white sea bird with a black back and wings that lives by the coast

is limited to coasts of the North Atlantic rather than the whole north
sea gull
vsgreat black-backed gull
1.0

A mostly white bird with long wings that lives near the sea or lakes

is one specific large bird with a black back and wings

Surface Forms

great black-backed gull singular
great black-backed gulls plural

Morphology

great + black-backed + gull

The phrase is fully compositional: 'great' = very large, 'black-backed' = having a black back (black + backed), and 'gull' = a coastal bird. Combined, these parts directly describe a large gull with a black back; this adjective+noun pattern is common cross-linguistically and readily inferable by a B1 learner who knows the constituents.

Etymology

Great black-backed gull comes from a simple picture: great means 'very large', black-backed means 'having a black back and wings', and gull is a sea bird. So, the name describes a very large sea bird with a black back that lives on coasts.