puffin
noun /ˈpʌfɪn/
/ˈpʌfɪn/
- a black and white bird with a large, brightly coloured beak that lives near the sea, common in the N AtlanticTopics Birdsc2
enlarge imageWord OriginMiddle English (denoting the Manx shearwater): apparently from puff + -ing, with reference to the Manx shearwater's fat nestlings. The later use is a confusion, by association of nesting habits and habitat.
