black guillemot

9.4

A medium-sized seabird with mostly black feathers and white patches on its wings

noun
/blæk ˈɡɪləmɒt/

: guillemot negro

The black guillemot is easily recognized by its striking black body and white wing patches.

Examples

We spotted a black guillemot perched on the rocky shoreline during our trip to Iceland.
Many black guillemots nest on the cliffs of Iceland.
Conservationists are monitoring black guillemot populations to track changes in the marine environment.
The black guillemot is often seen near rocky shores.
The black guillemot is easily recognized by its striking black body and white wing patches.
We spotted a black guillemot perched on the rocky shoreline during our trip to Iceland.
Many black guillemots nest on the cliffs of Iceland.

Synonyms

guillemot

vsblack guillemot

1 9.9

A small seabird that nests on cliffs and dives for fish

is one specific species within that group with mostly black plumage

Cepphus grylle

vsblack guillemot

Specialized

9.9

A seabird that lives in the northern Atlantic and has black feathers with white wing patches

is the common English name used instead of the scientific label

Surface Forms

black guillemot singular

black guillemots plural

Morphology

black + guillemot

The compound simply combines 'black' (a color) with 'guillemot' (a small seabird), so the meaning — a guillemot with predominantly black plumage — is directly predictable from its parts. This color + noun composition is a common, cross-linguistic naming pattern and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

The name black guillemot comes from two simple words. The word black shows the bird's dark color and guillemot is an old French nickname from 'Guillaume', like 'William', used for small sea birds. That's why the name paints a clear picture of a dark little sea bird and is used for this species today.