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puffin

Syllabification: (puf·fin)
Pronunciation: /ˈpəfən/
Translate puffin | into Spanish
Definition of puffin

noun

  • a hole-nesting auk (seabird) of northern and Arctic waters, with a large head and a massive, brightly colored triangular bill.
    • Genera Fratercula and Lunda, family Alcidae: three species, in particular the Atlantic puffin (F. arctica)

Origin:

Middle English (denoting the Manx shearwater): apparently from puff + -ing3, with reference to the Manx shearwater's fat nestlings. The later use is a confusion, by association of nesting habits and habitat

puffin in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of puffin in the British & World English dictionary
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