gannet

noun

gan·​net ˈga-nət How to pronounce gannet (audio)
plural gannets also gannet
: any of a genus (Morus of the family Sulidae, the gannet family) of large fish-eating seabirds that breed in colonies chiefly on offshore islands

Did you know?

There are three oceanic bird species called gannet. They are found in the North Atlantic, where they are the largest seabirds, and in temperate seas around Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. The adults are mainly white with black-tipped wing feathers and a large, yellowish or buff-colored head, with black around the eyes. They have a tapered beak and pointed tail. They dive with half-closed wings to catch fish and squid. They waddle on land, but are expert fliers, spending most of their lives over water. They nest in dense colonies on cliffs. The largest species is the 40-in (100-cm) northern gannet.

Examples of gannet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Yet despite the stress on their bodies, gannets (like the kingfisher) manage the feat again and again without injury, especially concussions. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 24 Oct. 2023 Scientists have been studying this phenomenon for a very long time, including recent work on diving birds like gannets and kingfishers. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 6 Nov. 2023 Each summer, the island’s gannet population balloons to 22,000 as the birds arrive for breeding. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Oct. 2023 The art of courtship by Rachel Bigsby From a boat, U.K. photographer Rachel Bigsby captured a pair of gannets in courtship at the Isle of Noss in Scotland. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Oct. 2023 The severe southeast coast here is gorgeous in its craggy rawness — known as an ideal spot to glimpse egrets, herons, and gannets. Ross Kenneth Urken, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2023 The island’s colony of over 110,000 northern gannets is the most accessible gannet colony in the world. Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 5 May 2022 Anyway, down there in the middle of a lonely sea, the person in the boat says that the calls of gannets and the cries of curlews are what have replaced men’s laughter for them. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 11 May 2022 That's right around an average dive for a gannet. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2016

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gannet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ganate, gante, going back to Old English ganot, ganet "a seabird, probably Morus bassanus," going back to Germanic *ganuta- "gander" (whence Middle Dutch ghent "gander," Old High German ganazzo, ganzo), from *gan- (base of *gan-s- "goose") + *-uta-, suffix of animal names — more at goose entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gannet was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near gannet

Cite this Entry

“Gannet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gannet. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gannet

noun
gan·​net ˈgan-ət How to pronounce gannet (audio)
plural gannets also gannet
: any of several large fish-eating seabirds that breed chiefly on offshore islands

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