cormorant

noun

cor·​mo·​rant ˈkȯrm-rənt How to pronounce cormorant (audio)
ˈkȯr-mə-,
ˈkȯr-mə-ˌrant
1
: any of various dark-colored web-footed waterbirds (family Phalacrocoracidae, especially genus Phalacrocorax) that have a long neck, hooked bill, and distensible throat pouch
2
: a gluttonous, greedy, or rapacious person

Illustration of cormorant

Illustration of cormorant

Examples of cormorant in a Sentence

Diamond Jim Brady was perhaps the most celebrated cormorant of the Gilded Age.
Recent Examples on the Web Last summer at a popular Monterey dive site, the cormorants seemed to be more active and curious than usual ... Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2024 The footage showing colorful schools of European perch, nosediving cormorants and looming wels catfish attracts a lot of attention. Vittoria Traverso, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Nov. 2023 In Oregon, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers killed thousands of cormorants in an effort to protect salmon in the Columbia River. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2024 The island’s primary residents are birds: puffin, mures, and cormorants are abundant in the sea cliffs. Scott Laird, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Nov. 2023 There were other glyphs describing a breathing mountain in a watery world and a cormorant bird surrounding this mythical city. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 22 Nov. 2023 What actually happened: Killing the birds drove the colony to a bridge several miles upriver, where the cormorants ate even more salmon than before. Tony Schick, ProPublica, 17 Nov. 2023 Noisy or silent, these creatures, like the herons, cormorants, and bald eagles, had chosen this place for a reason. Nina Caplan, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2023 As the surf crashed against a barrier of sand, pelicans, cormorants and ospreys soared over the dark water. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cormorant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cormeraunt, from Middle French cormorant, from Old French cormareng, from corp raven + marenc of the sea, from Latin marinus — more at corbel, marine

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cormorant was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near cormorant

Cite this Entry

“Cormorant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cormorant. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cormorant

noun
cor·​mo·​rant ˈkȯrm-(ə-)rənt How to pronounce cormorant (audio)
ˈkȯr-mə-ˌrant
: any of various dark-colored web-footed seabirds with a long neck, a hooked bill, and a patch of bare often brightly colored skin under the mouth

More from Merriam-Webster on cormorant

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