gull: [15] Gull is a Celtic contribution to English. It was probably borrowed from Welsh gwylan, which together with Cornish guilan, Breton gwelan, and Old Irish foilenn, goes back to a prehistoric Old Celtic *voilenno-. (The Old English word for ‘gull’ was m?w, as in modern English sea mew.)
gull (n.1)
shore bird, early 15c. (in a cook book), probably from Brythonic Celtic; compare Welsh gwylan "gull," Cornish guilan, Breton goelann; all from Old Celtic *voilenno-. Replaced Old English m?w (see mew (n.1)).
gull (n.2)
cant term for "dupe, sucker, credulous person," 1590s, of uncertain origin. Perhaps from verb meaning "to dupe, cheat" (see gull (v.)). Or it is perhaps from (or influenced by) the bird name (see gull (n.1)); in either case with a sense of "someone who will swallow anything thrown at him." Another possibility is Middle English gull, goll "newly hatched bird" (late 14c.), which is perhaps from Old Norse golr "yellow," from the hue of its down.
gull (v.)
"to dupe, cheat, mislead by deception," 1540s, earlier "to swallow" (1520s), ultimately from gull "throat, gullet" (early 15c.); see gullet. Related: Gulled; gulling.
雙語例句
1. Several other sub-species of gull are found in the region.
在該地區(qū)還發(fā)現(xiàn)了海鷗的其他亞種。
來自柯林斯例句
2. The gull held the fish in its beak.
海鷗嘴里叼著魚。
來自《權(quán)威詞典》
3. A lone sea gull flew across the sky.
一只孤獨(dú)的海鷗在空中飛過.
來自《現(xiàn)代漢英綜合大詞典》
4. The ivory gull often follows polar bears to feed on the remains of seal kills.