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Tern vs Terr - What's the difference?

tern | terr |

As nouns the difference between tern and terr

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 while terr is (Rhodesian slang, originally military) A terrorist; a nationalist guerrilla.

As an adjective tern

is threefold; triple; consisting of three; ternate.

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

    * *

    terr

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (Rhodesian slang, originally military) A terrorist; a nationalist guerrilla
  • * 2008 , Alexandre Binda, The Saints: The Rhodesian Light Infantry , 30° South Publishers, page 92:
    • As he entered the trees, he called, "Terrs left about one minute ago – in a hurry. There is abandoned equipment – no time to collect – moving east on tracks."
  • * c. 1970 , John Edmond, Black Boots'' (song), in ''Troopiesongs (album):
    • If a terr's on the run or if he goes to ground, /
    It doesn't really matter 'cause they'll hunt him down. /
    And if that terr's the first that shoots, /
    He got no chance against the Black Boots.
    Zimbabwe English ----