🐦 A rare crane 🦢 A large swan

whooper

1 9.9

A rare large bird like a crane with black and white feathers that makes a loud trumpeting call

noun
/ˈhuːpər/

: grulla trompetera

During migration season, whoopers can often be seen flying in a V formation across the sky.

Examples

The "whoopers," as bird enthusiasts refer to them, will follow Duff, who will be in an ultralight aircraft, to learn a route between Wisconsin and Florida.

Academic text (2001)
The whooper is known for its striking black-and-white plumage and loud, trumpeting call.
Conservationists are working hard to protect the endangered whoopers in their natural habitat.

Synonyms

whooping crane

vswhooper

5 9.6

A large rare North American bird with white and black feathers and a loud trumpet call

emphasizes the call's distinctive quality rather than just its loudness

Grus americana

vswhooper

Specialized

9.9

A rare North American crane with white and black feathers and a loud trumpet call called the whooping crane

is the common name used in everyday speech rather than the Latin label

Compounds

whooper swan

8.5

A large white bird with a long neck that makes loud trumpet calls

Surface Forms

whooper singular

whoopers plural

Morphology

whooper = whoop (transparent) = whoop + er

Formed from the verb 'whoop' + agentive suffix '-er'; the bird is named after its whooping call, so the meaning is directly derivable.

Etymology

Whooper comes from the sound word whoop, meaning a loud cry, plus the ending -er, so it means 'one that makes a loud whooping sound'. That's why the rare North American whooper crane is named for its loud, trumpeting call.