Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Cormorant |
CormorantNoun1. Large voracious dark-colored long-necked seabird with a distensible pouch for holding fish; used in Asia to catch fish. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "cormorant" was first used: sometime around 1330. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Bible | Cormorant (Lev. 11:17; Deut. 14:17), Heb. shalak, "plunging," or "darting down," (the Phalacrocorax carbo), ranked among the "unclean" birds; of the same family group as the pelican. It is a "plunging" bird, and is common on the coasts and the island seas of Palestine. Some think the Hebrew word should be rendered "gannet" (Sula bassana, "the solan goose"); others that it is the "tern" or "sea swallow," which also frequents the coasts of Palestine as well as the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan valley during several months of the year. But there is no reason to depart from the ordinary rendering. In Isa. 34:11, Zeph. 2:14 (but in R.V., "pelican") the Hebrew word rendered by this name is _ka'ath_. It is translated "pelican" (q.v.) in Ps. 102:6. The word literally means the "vomiter," and the pelican is so called from its vomiting the shells and other things which it has voraciously swallowed. (See PELICAN.). Source: Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
| Cormorants | ||||||||||
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 Red-faced Cormorant | ||||||||||
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| Genera | ||||||||||
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Nannopterum Phalacrocorax Leucocarbo |
The Phalacrocoracidae family is represented by over thirty species of cormorants and shags. All but three are in the genus Phalacrocorax, the exception being the Galapagos Flightless Cormorant, the Kerguelen Shag and the Imperial Shag.
The names "cormorant" and "shag" were orginally those of the two species of the family found in Britain, Phalacracorax carbo (the Great Cormorant) and P. aristotelis (the Common Shag). "Shag" refers to the bird's crest. As other species were discovered by English-speaker sailors and explorers elsewhere in the world, some were called cormorants and some shags, depending on whether they had crests or not. Sometimes the same species is called a cormorant in one part of the world and a shag in another, e.g. the Great Cormorant is called the Black Shag in New Zealand (the birds found in Australasia have a crest that is absent in European members of the species). Christopher Isherwood was obviously unaware of the distinction when he began a poem, "The common cormorant (or shag)/lays eggs inside a paper bag". His information about the bird's nesting habits shouldn't be relied on, either.
Cormorants and shags are medium-to-large seabirds, usually with mainly dark plumage and areas of coloured skin on the face which are bright blue, orange, red or yellow. The bill is long, thin, and sharply hooked. Their feet are four-toed and webbed, a distinguishing feature among the Pelecaniformes order.
They are coastal rather than oceanic birds, and some have colonised inland waters. They range around the world, except for Asia and central Pacific islands.
All are fish-eaters, dining on small eels, fish, and even water snakes. They dive from the surface, though many species make a characteristic half-jump as they dive, presumably to give themselves a more streamlined entry into the water. Under water they propel themselves with their feet.
After fishing, cormorants go ashore to dry their wings by holding them out in the sun. Unusually for a water bird, their feathers are not waterproofed. This may help them dive quickly, since their feathers do not retain air bubbles.
Cormorants are colonial nesters, using trees, rocky islets, or cliffs. The eggs are a chalky-blue colour. There is usually one brood a year. The young are fed through regurgitation.
Humans have historically exploited cormorants' fishing skills, especially in Japan, where they have been trained by fishermen. Traditional cormorant fishing can be watched in the city of Inuyama, in Aichi prefecture.
This group is related to other Pelecaniformes as below:
The Spectacled Cormorant Phalacrocorax perspicillatus is extinct.
For an alternative scientific classification, see Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Cormorant."
Synonym: CormorantSynonym: Phalacrocorax carbo (n). (additional references) |
| Synonym by domain: phalacrocorax (biology & biotechnology). |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Desire | Lover, amateur, votary, devotee, aspirant, solicitant, candidate, applicant, supplicant; cormorant. |
Gluttony | Epicure, bon vivant, gourmand; glutton, cormorant, hog, belly god, Apicius, gastronome; gourmet; a. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Cormorant |
| English words defined with "cormorant": Coalgoose, Corvorant ♦ Gorma ♦ Norie ♦ Sea crow. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "cormorant": CHURCH WARDEN, Cormoran' ♦ Giants ♦ Kabibonokka. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "cormorant": Skart. (references) |
| Domain | Title |
Books | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Side view of a cormorant. Credit: NOAA's Ark (Animals). |  | Front view of a cormorant. Credit: NOAA's Ark (Animals). |
 | Phalacrocorax penecillatus, Brandt. Brandt's Cormorant. This image was included in: Reports of Explorations and Surveys .... Volume X. 1859. Plate X. P. 80 of U. S. Pacific Railroad Explorations and Surveys between San Francisco and Yuma, Arizona. Call Number F593 .U58 1855 . Credit: Treasures of the Library. |  | Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Double-crested cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus. These birds often take advantage of the tops of pilings for resting places. Credit: National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERR). |
 | Red-faced Cormorant. Credit: Alaska Image Library. |  | Cormorant. Credit: Alaska Image Library. |
 | Cormorant Nest. Credit: Alaska Image Library. |  | Double-Crested Cormorant. Credit: Alaska Image Library. |
 | Cormorant. Credit: Bob Hines. | ||
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
| "Cormorant" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 93.75% of the time. "Cormorant" is used about 32 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 93.75% | 30 | 63,341 |
| Noun (proper) | 6.25% | 2 | 245,945 |
| Total | 100.00% | 32 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "cormorant": Brandt's cormorant ♦ Lake Cormorant. Additional references. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day | Expression | Frequency per Day |
cormorant | 75 | 149 ch cormorant | 3 |
double crested cormorant | 16 | brandts cormorant | 3 |
cormorant helicopter | 12 | cormorant pygmy | 3 |
cormorant beach club | 7 | comox cormorant | 2 |
cormorant bird | 5 | cormorant photo | 2 |
canada cormorant | 5 | cormorant picture | 2 |
lake cormorant | 5 | cormorant uss | 2 |
101 cormorant eh | 4 | cormorant hmcs | 2 |
lake cormorant ms | 4 | cormorant croix st | 2 |
cormorant great | 4 | cormorant flightless | 2 |
breasted cormorant double | 3 | cormorant inn | 2 |
camp cormorant | 3 | ||
cormorant inn | 2 | ||
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Translations for "cormorant"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arabic | نهم (avid, gluttonous, gluttony, gourmand, insatiable, insatiate, lickerish, open mouthed, pig, piggy, ravenous, straggling, voracious, voracity), الغاق طائر مائي, شره (avid, avidity, gluttonous, gourmand, greed, greedy, gross, hoggish, lickerish, pig, piggish, predatory, solicitous, voracious, voracity). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgarian | хищник (grabber, hawk, predator, prowler, vulture), корморан. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 鸕 (fishing cormorant). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | kormorán. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Danish | skarv (phalacrocorax carbo sinensis), phalacrocorax carbo sinensis (phalacrocorax carbo sinensis), almindelig skarv (Usa: European cormorant). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | aalscholver (phalacrocorax carbo sinensis, Usa: European cormorant). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Esperanto | kormorano. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Faeroese | skarvur. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Farsi | قره قاز, ازمند (Avaricious, Avid, Covetous, Greedy). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Finnish | merimetso. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | cormoran. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Frisian | ielgoes. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | Kormoran (cormorant greatZool). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | κορμοράνος (Usa: European cormorant). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hebrew | שלך (osprey, thine, thy, your). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | kormorán. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indonesian | dandang, burung laut. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | cormorano (shag). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | 鵜 . (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | う (bend over, fourth sign of Chinese zodiac, help). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manx | shag (shag), fannag varrey. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | ormorantcay corvo marinho de faces brancas (Usa: European cormorant), corvo marinho (phalacrocorax carbo sinensis), voraz (edacious, gluttonous, gourmand, greedy, lickerish, rapacious, ravenous, voracious), phalacrocorax carbo sinensis (phalacrocorax carbo sinensis), pessoa insaciável. (various references) cormoran (shag). (various references) жадина (pinchpenny), большой баклан. (various references) sgarbh. (various references) proždrljiv čovek, kormoran. (various references) cormorán grande (Usa: European cormorant), cormorán, de cormorán. (various references) skarvfågel. (various references) obur (edacious, esurient, glutton, gluttonous, gormandizer, gourmand, greedy, guzzler, hog, lickerish, open mouthed, piggish, ravenous, voracious), karabatak, boğazlı (freeliver, gourmand, great eater, polo neck). (various references) великий баклан, ненажера (belly-god, gargantua, glutton, gourmand, guzzler), жаднюга. (various references) mulfran, morfran, bilidowcar. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | corvi, corvisque, corvo, corvos, corvus, Phalacrocorax carbo, RM:cormoran grond. (various references) |
| Late Latin | 300-700 | corvus marinus. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Language | Date | Source | Leviticus Chapter 11, Verse 17 |
| Greek (transliterated) | 250 BC | Septuagint | Kai nuktikoraka kai katarrakthn kai ibin |
| Latin | 405 | Vulgate | Bubonem et mergulum et ibin |
| Middle English | 1395 | Wyclif | An owle, and a deuedep, and the vnclene watir foule, that with his bille puttynge water into his ars, purgith hym silf; |
| Renaissance English | 1526 | Tyndale | The litle oule, the storcke, the great oule |
| Jacobean English | 1611 | King James | And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, |
| Victorian English | 1833 | Webster | And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, |
| Basic English | 1964 | Ogden | And the little owl and the cormorant and the great owl; |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Leviticus Chapter 11, Verse 17 |
| Bulgarian | малкият бухал, рибарят, ибисът |
| Cebuano | Ug ang bukaw, ug ang gamaw, ug lapay, |
| Croatian | sova, gnjurac, ušara, |
| Danish | Uglen, Fiskepelikanen, Hornuglen, |
| Dutch | En de steenuil, en het duikertje, en de schuifuit, |
| Finnish | huuhkaja, kalasääksi ja kissapöllö, |
| French | le chat-huant, le plongeon et la chouette; |
| German | das Käuzlein, den Schwan, den Uhu, |
| Haitian Creole | koukou, plonjon, frize, |
| Hungarian | A kuvik, a hattyú és a füles bagoly. |
| Indonesian-Terjemahan Lama | dan pungguk dan belibis dan jompok, |
| Italian | il gufo, l'alcione, l'ibis, |
| Maori | Me te ruru nohinohi, me te kawau, me te ruru nui, |
| Norwegian | og kattuglen og dykkeren og hubroen |
| Portuguese | o bufo, o corvo marinho, a coruja, |
| Rumanian | huhurezul, heretele wi cocostkrcul; |
| Russian | ЖЙМЙОБ, ТЩ'ПМПЧБ Й Й'ЙУБ, |
| Spanish | la lechuza, el somormujo, el búho, |
| Swedish | ugglan, dykfågeln, uven, |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "cormorant": cormorants. (additional references) | |
| |
"Cormorant" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Commersant, comorans, comorant, comoreans, comorian, Comorin, cormacan, Cormoran, cormorano, Corocraft, O'moran. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "cormorant" (pronounced kô"rmerunt) |
| 4 | -er u n t | accelerant, afferent, aspirant, belligerent, deodorant, different, efferent, expectorant, exuberant, ignorant, intolerant, irreverent, itinerant, odorant, operant, refrigerant, reverent, tolerant. |
| 3 | -u n t | abandonment, abatement, aberrant, abhorrent, abortifacient, absent, absorbent, abstinent, abundant, accident, accompaniment, accomplishment, accountant, accouterment, achievement, acknowledgement, acknowledgment, adamant, adherent, adjacent, adjournment, adjustment, adjutant, adolescent, adornment, advancement, advertisement, advisement, affiant, affluent, agent, aggrandizement, agreement, ailment, alignment, allotment, amazement, ambient, ambivalent, amendment, amusement, ancient, announcement, annulment, antecedent, antidepressant, antigovernment, antioxidant, apartment, apparent, appeasement, applicant, appointment, apportionment, ardent, argent, argument, armament, arraignment, arrangement, arrant, arrogant, ascendant, assailant, assessment, assignment, assistant, assortment, astonishment, astringent, atonement, attachment, attainment, attendant, banishment, basement, battlement, bemusement, beneficent, benevolent, bereavement, betterment, bewilderment, blandishment, blatant, bombardment, brilliant, buoyant, celebrant, claimant, clairvoyant, Clement, client, coefficient, cogent, cognizant, coherent, coincident, combatant, commandment, commencement, commitment, compartment, competent, complacent, complainant, complaisant, complement, compliant, component, comportment, concealment, concomitant, concurrent, condiment, confident, confinement, confluent, consequent, consignment, consistent, consonant, constant, constituent, consultant, containment, contaminant, contentment, contestant, continent, contingent, convalescent, convenient, convent, convergent, conversant, coolant, copayment, corespondent, correspondent, Courant, covenant, Crescent, crosscurrent, current, curtailment, debarment, debasement, decadent, decedent, decent, declarant, decongestant, defendant, deferment, defiant, deficient, defoliant, delinquent, department, dependent, deployment, deportment, depressant, derailment, descendant, descendent, despondent, detachment, detergent, determent, determinant, deterrent, detriment, development, deviant, diligent, diminishment, disagreement, disappointment, disarmament, disbarment, disbursement, discernment, discordant, discouragement, disenchantment, disenfranchisement, disengagement, disestablishment, disgruntlement, disillusionment, disinfectant, disinvestment, dismantlement, dismemberment, disobedient, dispersant, displacement, dissident, dissonant, distant, divalent, divergent, divestment, docent, dominant, dormant, easement, ebullient, effervescent, efficient, effluent, elegant, element, elephant, eloquent, embankment, embarrassment, embayment, embellishment, embezzlement, embodiment, emergent, emigrant, eminent, emplacement, employment, empowerment, enactment, encampment, enchantment, encirclement, encouragement, encroachment, endangerment, endearment, endorsement, endowment, enforcement, engagement, enhancement, enjoyment, enlargement, enlightenment, enlistment, enrichment, enrollment, enslavement, entanglement, entertainment, enticement, entitlement, entombment, entrant, entrapment, entrenchment, environment, equipment, equivalent, errant, escapement, escarpment, esculent, establishment, estrangement, evanescent, evident, excellent, excitement, excrement, exigent, existent, exorbitant, expectant, expedient, experiment, exponent, extant, extinguishment, extravagant, exultant, Fabricant, fervent, figment, filament, flagrant, flamboyant, flatulent, flippant, fluent, fluorescent, formant, fragment, fragrant, fraudulent, frequent, fulfillment, gallant, garment, garnishment, giant, government, grandiloquent, grandparent, harassment, hesitant, hydrant, immanent, immigrant, imminent, impairment, impatient, impeachment, impediment, impertinent, implement, important, impotent, impoundment, impoverishment, impressment, imprisonment, improvement, imprudent, inadvertent, incandescent, incessant, incident, incipient, incitement, inclement, incoherent, incompetent, inconsistent, incontinent, inconvenient, increment, incumbent, indecent, independent, indictment, indifferent, indigent, indignant, indolent, inducement, indulgent, inefficient, infant, informant, infotainment, infrequent, infringement, ingredient, inhabitant, inhalant, inherent, innocent, inpatient, insignificant, insistent, insolent, insolvent, installment, instant, instrument, insufficient, insurgent, integument, intelligent, intercurrent, interdependent, intermittent, internment, intersegment, intransigent, invariant, investment, involvement, iridescent, irrelevant, irritant, jubilant, judgement, judgment, latent, leant, lenient, lieutenant, ligament, litigant, lubricant, lucent, luminescent, luxuriant, magnificent, malevolent, malignant, maltreatment, management, measurement, merchant, micromanagement, migrant, militant, miscreant, misgovernment, misjudgment, mismanagement, misstatement, mistreatment, moment, monovalent, monument, mordant, movement, mutant, nascent, negligent, noncombatant, nonexistent, nongovernment, nonmanagement, nonpayment, nonresident, nonviolent, nourishment, nutrient, obedient, observant, obsolescent, occupant, ointment, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, opponent, opulent, ornament, orpiment, outpatient, outplacement, overconfident, overpayment, overstatement, oxidant, pageant, parchment, parent, parliament, participant, patent, patient, pavement, payment, peasant, penchant, pendant, penitent, pennant, percipient, permanent, persistent, pertinent, petulant, pheasant, pigment, piquant, placement, pleasant, pliant, poignant, pollutant, postponement, postretirement, potent, preadolescent, precedent, predicament, predominant, preeminent, pregnant, prejudgment, prepayment, prescient, present, presentment, prevalent, procurement, proficient, prominent, pronouncement, propellant, proponent, protestant, provident, prudent, prurient, pungent, punishment, pursuant, puzzlement, quadrant, quiescent, quotient, radiant, rampant, readjustment, reagent, realignment, reappointment, reapportionment, rearmament, rearrangement, reassessment, reassignment, recalcitrant, recent, recipient, recombinant, recruitment, recurrent, redeployment, redevelopment, redundant, reemployment, reenactment, refinement, refreshment, refurbishment, Regent, regiment, registrant, reimbursement, reinforcement, reinstatement, reinvestment, relevant, reliant, reluctant, reminiscent, remnant, repayment, repellent, repentant, replacement, replenishment, repugnant, requirement, resentment, resettlement, resident, resilient, resistant, resonant, resplendent, respondent, restatement, resultant, resurgent, retardant, reticent, retirement, retrenchment, rodent, rudiment, ruminant, sacrament, salient, seafront, sealant, sediment, segment, semipermanent, sentiment, Sequent, sergeant, serpent, servant, settlement, shipment, significant, silent, solvent, somnolent, stagnant, statement, stimulant, strident, stringent, student, subcontinent, subsequent, subservient, succulent, sufficient, supergiant, superintendent, supplement, supplicant, suppressant, surfactant, talent, tangent, temperament, tenant, tenement, testament, tetravalent, torrent, tournament, transcendent, transient, translucent, transparent, treatment, trenchant, trident, triumphant, truant, truculent, tumescent, turbulent, tyrant, undercurrent, underdevelopment, underemployment, undergarment, underpayment, understatement, unemployment, unimportant, unpleasant, unrepentant, urgent, vacant, vagrant, valiant, variant, vehement, verdant, vibrant, vigilant, violent, virulent, warrant, wonderment. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-c-m-n-o-o-r-r-t" | |
-1 letter: monocrat, motorcar. | |
-2 letters: cartoon, coranto. | |
-3 letters: cantor, carrom, carrot, carton, contra, corona, craton, croton, macron, maroon, marron, matron, mortar, orator, racoon, rancor, ratoon, romano, trocar. | |
-4 letters: acorn, actor, amort, armor, canto, carom, conto, cotan, croon, macon, macro, manor, moron, morro, motor, narco, octan, racon, roman, rotor, taroc, toman, trona. | |
-5 letters: arco, atom, cant, carn, carr. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-c-m-n-o-o-r-r-t" | |
+1 letter: cormorants. | |
+3 letters: confirmatory, contemporary. | |
+4 letters: conglomerator, monochromator. | |
+5 letters: anthropometric, chronometrical, conglomerateur, conglomerators, contemporaries, contemporarily, miscorrelation, monochromators, recommendatory, reconfirmation, uncontemporary. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Images: Slideshow 6. Images: Photo Album 7. Usage Frequency 8. Expressions | 9. Expressions: Internet 10. Translations: Modern 11. Translations: Ancient 12. Bible Trace | 13. Derivations 14. Rhymes 15. Anagrams 16. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
