Seagull

Pronunciation

• GenAm IPA: /ˈsiː.É¡ÊŒl/

Alternative forms

• sea gull
• sea-gull

Origin

sea + gull. The second element is from a language, probably Breton.

Full definition of seagull

Noun

1. Any of several white, often dark backed birds of the family Laridae having long pointed wings and short legs.
2. (orthography) The symbol  ̼ , which combines under a letter as a sort of accent.
3. (UK, slang) A fan or member of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C..

Synonyms

• (bird) gull

Derived terms

• seagulling

Verb

1. (British, Australia, New Zealand, rugby slang, of a forward) To run in the back line rather than concentrate on primary positional duties in open play.
• 2002, 24 September, Greig Blanchett, Re: The Immorality of the Drop Goal, and when you need cover for the fullback because of the bombs raining down, when the walking maul requires every forward to quit seagulling and actually do some hard graft, then the rest of the game opens up.
• 2002, "Sharks beached at Stradey", BBC Sport, 13 December 2002:On hand was seagulling number eight Dave Hodges to cross for the all-important try.
• 2003, Greg Growden, "Australia survives scare", The Age, 2 November 2003:That occurred in the 12th minute when flanker George Smith, seagulling out wide, enjoyed the rewards of a two-man overlap to score.
• 2003, Mark Fuller, "Impeccable France outclasses Ireland", The Age, 10 November 2003:France was full of running and continued to spread the ball wide or kick in behind the defence, where towering right-winger Aurelien Rougerie and the seagulling French back row had a height advantage contesting the high ball.
• 2011, Darren Walton, "Injuries sour Wallabies 67-5 win over USA", MSN NZ, 24 September 2011:Samo seagulled for Australia's final try two minutes from time.
2. (boating slang) To use a British Seagull outboard.
• 2007, 19 December, Douglas Eagleson, Re: british seagull info request, It should be considered a style of outboarding I believe. Seagulling arround and all.
3. (New Zealand) To work as a non-union casual stevedore.
• 1964, O. E. Middleton, A Walk on the Beach, M. Joseph (1964), page 215:Bill had been seagulling on the wharf since he got back from the war.
• 1981, Parliamentary Debates, Volume 437, page 374:At that time many of them seagulled on the Mt Maunganui wharf to make a crust in order to carry on with their ideal of kiwifruit as a major exporting industry.
• 1993, Beryl Fletcher, The Iron Mouth, Spinifex Press (1993), ISBN 9781875559220, page 60:The only stories he told of his life were of how hard he had worked, seagulling on the wharf, standing in blood and guts at the Works, loading trucks with sacks of fertiliser and grain at the Farmers' Co-op.

Anagrams

• sullage, ullages