loon

1 of 2

noun (1)

plural loons
1
: lout, idler
2
chiefly Scotland : boy
3
a
: an eccentric person
b

loon

2 of 2

noun (2)

: any of several large birds (genus Gavia of the family Gaviidae) of Holarctic regions that feed on fish by diving and have their legs placed far back under the body for optimal locomotion underwater

Illustration of loon

Illustration of loon

Did you know?

There are a number of theories about the origin of loon as it refers to a crazy person, its most common current meaning. One is that it comes from loony, meaning "crazy." But based on currently available evidence, loony is a late 19th-century alteration of lunatic that didn't come into use until decades after the meaning of loon in question. (It's still possible that loony influenced the development and spread of this meaning of loon.) Another guess is that this loon is from the avian loon, inspired either by the bird's maniacal cry or its displays to distract predators, such as skittering over water with its neck crooked. This is certainly possible, and is the origin story favored by some. But the story our dictionaries favor is a bit more quotidian: the current use of loon developed from earlier uses, primarily in Scottish and other northern dialects of British English, of loon to refer to a lout (an awkward, brutish person) or idler (someone who is idle, lazy, or inactive). While that loon, which is from Middle English loun, never spread to British English more broadly, immigrants from the regions where it was used had a significant influence on American English, and it's not far-fetched to posit that their loon developed into the distinctly American use of the word to refer to daffy people.

Examples of loon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Officials are caring for a common loon and a western grebe that were recovered with oil on their bodies. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 The new flag design lacks a loon, as does the old one. Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 29 Feb. 2024 Share [Findings] In Maine, a loon stabbed a bald eagle through the heart. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024 Staffers hang out in a lactation pod, in an office where nobody breast-feeds; pledge-drive contributions are heralded with the call of the common loon. Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 8 Feb. 2024 The loon breeds in the Arctic tundra during the summer. Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 25 Jan. 2024 The new state seal features a loon amid wild rice, to replace the image of a Native American riding off into the sunset while a white settler plows his field with a rifle at the ready. Steve Karnowski, Fortune, 19 Dec. 2023 The stories featured the loon, whale, moose and other animals of the region. Mary Hudetz, ProPublica, 4 Dec. 2023 Advertisement The findings, published in the journal Biological Conservation, identified major threats to over 1,000 species including iconic and threatened bald eagles, brown pelicans, big brown bats and common loons. Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'loon.' 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

Noun (1)

Middle English loun

Noun (2)

of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse lōmr loon

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1634, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of loon was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near loon

Cite this Entry

“Loon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loon. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

loon

noun
ˈlün
: any of several large diving birds that eat fish, have a long pointed bill and webbed feet, and usually nest on the banks of lakes and ponds

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