whooper swan

8.5

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

noun
/ˈhuːpər swɑːn/

: cisne cantor

The whooper swan is easily recognized by its loud, trumpeting calls and yellow-and-black bill.

Examples

A group of whooper swans was spotted by birdwatchers at the lake this morning.
The whooper swan is known for its distinctive call.
The whooper swan migrates thousands of miles between its breeding and wintering grounds each year.
I saw a whooper swan at the lake yesterday.
During their migration, many birdwatchers were thrilled to catch a glimpse of a whooper swan as it flew overhead with its distinctive whooping call.
In the tranquil lake, a pair of whooper swans glided gracefully, calling to each other with their loud, musical sounds.
As the sun set, the sound of a whooper swan echoed across the wetlands, signaling the end of the day's festivities.

Synonyms

whooper

vswhooper swan

1 8.9

A large white swan with a long loud call that lives in Europe and Asia

is the general name without specifying a native region

Cygnus cygnus

vswhooper swan

Specialized

9.9

A large white swan that makes a loud trumpet call

is the everyday common name used outside scientific contexts

Surface Forms

whooper swan singular

whooper swans plural

Morphology

whooper + swan

This is a compositional species name: the noun combines a descriptor related to the whooping call with the base category 'swan', so a learner who knows 'whooper' (one that whoops/makes a whoop) and 'swan' can derive the meaning. The formation is transparent and follows common cross-linguistic patterns for animal names based on salient features, making it readily comprehensible to B1 learners who know the constituents.

Etymology

Whooper swan The name whooper swan comes from the bird's loud 'whoop' call; people called it a whooper because that noisy 'whoop' stands out. That's why the name means a large swan known for its loud, whooping call.