gannet

/ˈɡænɪt/

gannet

English Noun

Definition

Any of three species of large seabird in the genus Morus, of the family Sulidae. They have black and white bodies and long pointed wings, and hunt for fish by plunge diving and pursuing their prey underwater.

Etymology

From Middle English ganet, gante, from Old English ganot, from Proto-West Germanic *ganat, *ganatō, from Proto-Germanic *ganatuz, *ganutô (“gander”), ultimately related to Proto-Germanic *ganzô. Cognates Cognate with Dutch gent, Middle Low German gante, German Ganter, Ganser, all “gander, male goose”.