Definition of "tern" in English

noun

1. Any of various seabirds of the subfamily Sterninae (of the family Laridae) that are similar to gulls but are smaller and have a forked tail.

noun

1. (dated or obsolete) A thing with three components; a set of three things.

adjective

1. (chiefly botany, rare) Consisting of three components; ternate, threefold, triple.

   • tern flowers    tern leaves
   • a tern schooner, one with three masts