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Glite Dictionary
laughing gull

laughing gull

6.4
A medium-sized sea bird with a black head in summer that makes a loud call like a laugh
  • noun
  • /ˈlæfɪŋ ɡʌl/
  • US
translation icon : gaviota reidora
  • While observing the coastline, I spotted several laughing gulls perched on the rocks, looking for food.

Examples

  • Laughing gulls squawked over us.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Laughing gulls flew from the broken lighthouse.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • "Laughing gull."

    Restless (2011)

  • The laughing gull is easily recognized by its black head during the breeding season.

  • As we walked along the beach, a laughing gull circled above, making its distinctive call.

Synonyms

gull
vslaughing gull
27 2.0

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

is a medium species with a black breeding head and a laughing call
sea gull
vslaughing gull
1.0

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

is an American coastal species with black breeding head and a laughing call

Surface Forms

laughing gull singular
laughing gulls plural

Morphology

laughing + gull

This is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: a 'laughing gull' is transparently a gull characterized by a 'laughing' call or appearance. A B1 learner who knows 'laughing' and 'gull' can infer the basic meaning (a gull noted for a laughing-like sound), even if they would not know the specific taxonomic details.

Etymology

Laughing gull is named for the bird's loud, high call that sounds like a human laugh. People heard laughing coming from the gull, so the name links the sound to the bird and helps you remember it by the 'laugh' it makes.