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Glite Dictionary
ivory gull

ivory gull

9.9
A white sea bird that lives in the Arctic and sometimes moves south to places like England or New Brunswick
  • noun
  • /ˈaɪvəri ɡʌl/
translation icon : gaviota marfil
  • During the winter migration, the ivory gull travels as far south as England and New Brunswick.

Examples

  • While on their trip to the Arctic, they spotted an ivory gull soaring above the ice.

  • And that mess is what the Rascal and the ivory gull fed on.

  • The ivory gull is known for its striking white feathers that blend perfectly with the snowy landscape.

Synonyms

Pagophila eburnea
vsivory gull
  • Specialized
9.9

A white Arctic gull that moves south as far as England and New Brunswick

is the common name for that species rather than a broader taxonomic group
Pagophila
vsivory gull
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of gulls that contains only the ivory gull found in the Arctic

is the species-level name used for the bird itself rather than the broader genus

Surface Forms

ivory gull singular
ivory gulls plural

Morphology

ivory + gull

The meaning is fully compositional: 'ivory' names a pale off-white color and 'gull' names the bird, so 'ivory gull' straightforwardly denotes a gull with an ivory colour. This modifier+noun pattern is common cross-linguistically and a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Ivory gull gets its name from the bird's very white feathers that look like ivory, and gull is a common sea bird. That's why ivory gull means a very white gull that lives in the Arctic.