any predatory gull-like bird of the family Stercorariidae, such as the great skua or bonxie (Stercorarius skua) or arctic skua (S. parasiticus) both of which harass terns or gulls into dropping or disgorging fish they have caught
Word origin
C17: from New Latin, from Faeroese skūgvur, from Old Norse skūfr
skua in American English
(ˈskjuə)
noun
1.
a large, brown-and-white, predatory shorebird (Catharacta skua, family Stercorariidae) found in cold seas
2. British
jaeger (sense 2)
Word origin
ModL, adapted (c. 1604) < Faroese skūgver < ON skūfr, tuft, sheaf (akin to shop)