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Glite Dictionary
tufted puffin

tufted puffin

8.9
A large seabird with bright yellow feathers over each eye when it has chicks
  • noun
  • /ˈtʌftɪd ˈpʌfɪn/
  • US
translation icon : frailecillo de cresta
  • I saw a tufted puffin at the aquarium.

Examples

  • The bright yellow plumes of the tufted puffin are especially noticeable during breeding season.

  • A group of tufted puffins gathered on the shore, drawing the attention of birdwatchers.

  • We spotted a tufted puffin nesting on the rocky cliffs of the island.

  • The tufted puffin is known for its colorful beak.

  • During the summer, the tufted puffin displays bright yellow tufts on its head while searching for fish.

  • The tufted puffin is known for its colorful beak and distinct yellow tufts during the breeding season.

  • In the northern Pacific, the tufted puffin can be seen nesting on steep cliffs with its vibrant plumage.

Synonyms

Lunda cirrhata
vstufted puffin
  • Specialized
9.9

A puffin with large yellow feathers above its eyes

is the common descriptive term used for the same breeding plumage

Surface Forms

tufted puffin singular
tufted puffins plural

Morphology

tufted + puffin

The compound is a straightforward adjective + noun: 'tufted' (having clusters of feathers) modifies 'puffin' (the seabird), so the meaning 'a puffin with tufts' is directly and compositionally derivable from the constituents. This is a transparent, descriptive naming pattern that is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand it.

Etymology

Tufted puffin gets its name from the bright yellow tufts of feathers over each eye that the bird shows in 'breeding season'. The word tufted means having small feather bunches and puffin is the seabird, so tufted puffin simply means the puffin with those feather tufts.