skua

sku·a

S0456900 (skyo͞o′ə)n.1. Any of several large predatory seabirds of the genus Stercorarius, especially the great skua.2. Chiefly British Any of several of the smaller seabirds of the genus Stercorarius.

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[New Latin, alteration of Faroese *skūvur, from Old Norse skūfr, tassel, seagull.]

skua

(ˈskjuːə) n (Animals) 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[C17: from New Latin, from Faeroese skūgvur, from Old Norse skūfr]

sku•a

(ˈskyu ə)

n., pl. sku•as. 1. any of several large, brown, gull-like predatory birds of the genus Catharacta, related to jaegers, esp. C. skua (great skua), of colder waters of both northern and southern seas. 2. Brit. jaeger (def. 1). [1670–80; < Faeroese skū(g)vur; compare Old Norse skūfr tassel, tuft, also skua (in poetry)]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

skua - gull-like jaeger of northern seas bonxiejaeger - rapacious seabird that pursues weaker birds to make them drop their preyCatharacta, genus Catharacta - skuasCatharacta skua, great skua - large brown skua of the northern Atlantic

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