skua
1
9.9
- noun
- /skuːə/
:
skúa
- Joseph recognized it; however, it was a bonxie, a skua, the seagull-like bird from which this island had taken its name.
Examples
-
A group of skuas swooped down to steal fish from the other seabirds.
-
Overhead, a skua cried out, and I took the sound for a good omen.
Fiction book (2001) -
I've never seen so many skuas in one place.
-
There were a pair of large brownish birds standing beyond the tarps that I thought I recognized as skuas.
Fiction book (2001) -
Overhead, a small flock of skuas, a half-dozen or so, circled, crying.
Fiction book (2001) -
The skua chased after the gull, forcing it to drop its catch.
-
While walking along the beach, I spotted a skua diving into the waves.
Synonyms
A large brown seabird that attacks other birds to steal food
A large brown seabird that lives near northern coasts, especially around Shetland
A large brown seabird of the northern Atlantic that chases other birds to take food
A medium-sized seabird in Arctic regions that chases other birds to steal food
Compounds
- Archaic
A large brown seabird of the northern Atlantic that chases other birds to take food
How Big
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word skua comes from the Faroese word skúgvur, the local name sailors used for this fierce seabird, and they often thought of it as a 'sea thief' because it stole fish from other birds. That's why skua today means a large, aggressive seabird known for swooping down and taking food like a little pirate.