kittiwake

noun — 2 senses

noun

Etymology Originally Scots, imitative of the bird's call.

Either of two small gulls in the genus Rissa of the family Laridae that nest in colonies on sea cliffs and spend the winter on the open ocean.

Ireland, UK the black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), no other kittiwake being found in Europe.

Synonyms: kitty
Derived terms: black-legged kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla, red-legged kittiwake, Rissa brevirostris

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.