Guillemot n. (Zool.) One of several northern sea birds, allied to the auks. They have short legs, placed far back, and are expert divers and swimmers. Note: The common guillemots, or murres, belong to the genus Uria (as U. troile); the black or foolish guillemot (Cepphus grylle, formerly Uria grylle), is called also sea pigeon and eligny. See Murre.
... and then, just at its highest pitch, the note breaks suddenly at a right angle; clear and clean as if cut with a diamond; then softly and sweetly down the scale once more. Along the shore, too, there is life; guillemot, oyster-catcher, tern are busy there; the wagtail is out in search of food, advancing in little spurts, trim and pert with its pointed beak and swift little flick of a tail; after a while it flies up to perch on a fence and sing with the rest. But when ... — Wanderers • Knut Hamsun
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