tarrock
Definition
Noun (countable): - A young of the common guillemot or other seabird: "tarrock" refers to a young bird, specifically a chick or juvenile of the common guillemot (Uria aalge) or similar seabirds of the genus Uria.
Usage Examples
- (Young guillemots waiting to be fed.)
- (A juvenile guillemot learning to fly.)
- (The soft feathers of a young seabird.)
Advanced Usage
"tarrock colony": a group of young guillemots gathered together on a nesting site.
- The tarrock colony covered the entire cliff face, their calls echoing across the water. (A large group of juvenile guillemots.)
"tarrock season": the period when guillemot chicks are present.
- During tarrock season, the island is off-limits to visitors to protect the birds. (The time of year when young guillemots are raised.)
Variants and Related Words
- Tarrock is a specific term; it has no common variant forms. It is a dialectal or archaic word, primarily used in British ornithology.
- Guillemot (n): the adult seabird species to which the tarrock belongs.
- The guillemot is a black-and-white seabird that nests on cliffs. (The adult form of the bird.)
Synonyms
- Guillemot chick: a young guillemot.
- Seabird juvenile: a young seabird of a similar type.
- Auklet: a small seabird related to the guillemot (though not identical).
Related Idioms
- No common idioms: "tarrock" is a highly specialized term and does not appear in idioms or figurative expressions.
Phrasal Verbs
- None: "tarrock" is a noun and does not form phrasal verbs.
Additional Notes
- The word "tarrock" is largely obsolete in modern English, surviving mainly in ornithological texts or regional dialects (e.g., in Scotland or northern England). It is not used in everyday conversation.
- Some historical sources also apply "tarrock" to the young of other seabirds, such as the razorbill or puffin, but the common guillemot is the most widely accepted referent.