skua

/'skju:ə/

Thân thiện

A skua flies low over the ocean waves.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A seabird of the family Stercorariidae: A predatory, gull-like bird found in northern seas and coastal regions, known for its aggressive behavior of chasing other birds to steal their food.
   • Jaeger: Another common name for this type of bird, particularly in North America.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • We spotted a skua harassing a tern until it dropped its catch.
  • The great skua is a formidable predator in its northern habitat.

Advanced Usage

• "To skua" (verb, rare/informal): To steal or scavenge food aggressively, analogous to the bird's behavior.
  • The smaller gulls will often try to skua fish from the pelicans.

Variants and Related Words

• Jaeger: A direct synonym, often used for the smaller species within the skua family.
• Bonxie (informal, chiefly Scottish): A colloquial name for the Great Skua ().
• Stercorariidae: The scientific family name for skuas and jaegers.

Synonyms

• Jaeger: A predatory seabird, especially of the genus .
• Seabird predator: A descriptive term for its ecological role.

Related Phrases

• Skua attack: Describes the bird's characteristic behavior of chasing other birds.
  • The puffin colony was disrupted by a sudden skua attack.

Related Idioms

• Like a skua on the hunt: Used to describe someone acting with aggressive, predatory intent.
  • The lawyer went after the witness's testimony like a skua on the hunt.

Học thuật

Noun

1. gull-like jaeger of northern seas

Từ đồng nghĩa

• bonxie