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Tern vs Dern - What's the difference?

tern | dern |

As nouns the difference between tern and dern

is that tern is any of various sea birds of the family sternidae that are similar to gulls but are smaller and have a forked tail or tern can be that which consists of, or pertains to, three things or numbers together while dern is a secret; secrecy or dern can be (uk|dialect) a gatepost or doorpost.

As adjectives the difference between tern and dern

is that tern is threefold; triple; consisting of three; ternate while dern is hidden; secret; private.

As a verb dern is

to hide; secrete, as in a hole.

tern

English

Etymology 1

From a Scandinavian language, related to Danish terne'', Swedish '' , ultimately from (etyl)

Noun

(en noun)
  • Any of various sea birds of the family Sternidae that are similar to gulls but are smaller and have a forked tail.
    • Derived terms
    * arctic tern * black tern * common tern * crested tern * greater crested tern * hooded tern * lesser crested tern * marsh tern * river tern * roseate tern * sooty tern * swift tern
    See also
    * sea swallow * (wikipedia) * (Sternidae) * (Sternidae)

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) terne. See (tern) (adjective).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • That which consists of, or pertains to, three things or numbers together.
  • (dated) A lottery prize resulting from the favourable combination of three numbers in the draw.
  • * Mrs Browning
    • She'd win a tern in Thursday's lottery.

    Adjective

    (-)
  • threefold; triple; consisting of three; ternate
    • tern''' flowers; '''tern leaves
    a tern schooner, one with three masts

    Anagrams

    * *

    dern

    English

    Alternative forms

    *

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) dern, derne, from (etyl) dyrne, . See below.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A secret; secrecy.
  • A secret place; hiding.
  • An obscure language.
  • Darkness; obscurity.
    • Derived terms
    *

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) dern, derne, from (etyl) dyrne, .

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Hidden; secret; private.
  • * Dr. H. More, Immortal, of the Soul
    • Now with their backs to the den's mouth they sit, / Yet shoulder not all light from the dern pit.
  • * J. R. Drake, Culprit Fay
    • Through dreary beds of tangled fern, / Through groves of nightshade dark and dern .

    Etymology 3

    From (etyl) dernen, .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To hide; secrete, as in a hole.
    • He at length escaped them by derning himself in a fox-earth. ? H. Miller.
  • To hide oneself; skulk.
    • But look how soon they heard of Holoferne / Their courage quail'd, and they began to derne . ? T. Hudson.

    Etymology 4

    Uncertain.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (UK, dialect) A gatepost or doorpost.
    • So I just put my eye between the wall and the dern of the gate, and I saw him come up to the back door''.., Charles Kingsley, ''Westward Ho! , Ch. XIV, How Salvation Yeo Slew the King of the Gubbings.
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