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Glite Dictionary
harp seal

harp seal

1 5.4
A large Arctic seal with dark curved marks on its back and white newborn pups
  • noun
  • /hɑrp siːl/
  • US
translation icon : foca de arpa
  • The young harp seal has a fluffy white coat that helps it blend in with the snow.

Examples

  • Her subjects include: Hawaii, Alaska, Kenya, Africa, Botswana, harp seals, polar bears, and other bears.

    Academic text (2001)

  • Four pinniped species occur in New England: harbor seals, gray seals, harp seals, and occasionally, hooded seals.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Harp seals are often seen resting on the harp seal ice floes in the Arctic Ocean.

  • Researchers study the behavior of harp seals to understand their adaptation to climate change.

Synonyms

Pagophilus groenlandicus
vsharp seal
  • Specialized
9.9

A seal that lives in the Arctic whose young have white fur

is the common everyday name used for that animal rather than its scientific label
Pagophilus
vsharp seal
  • Specialized
9.9

A seal without visible ears that lives in Arctic and North Atlantic waters, called the harp seal

refers to the specific species with distinct back markings and white-coated young

Surface Forms

harp seal singular
harp seals plural

Morphology

harp + seal

This is a straightforward noun–noun compound: 'harp' modifies 'seal' to name a kind of seal associated with something harp-like (the harp-shaped markings). A B1 learner who knows 'harp' (the instrument/shape) and 'seal' (the animal) can infer it refers to a species/type of seal, so the meaning is compositionally derivable.

Etymology

The noun harp seal comes from a simple picture: the dark mark on the animal's back looks like a harp, so people began to call it a 'harp seal'. That image explains the name for this northern seal and its fluffy white pups.