garefowl en · NOUN
Etymology
From Icelandic geirfugl, from Old Norse geirfugl (“great auk”), related to Swedish garfågel, Danish geirfugl, Faroese geirfuglur, gorfuglur, French gorfou.
Meanings
-
The great auk.
The Faroese men were able to catch more than a dozen gare-fowl along with 200 guillemots and numerous gannets, collecting them from rocks which the Icelanders were not brave enough to climb.
2020, Tim Ecott, The Land of Maybe, Short Books, published 2021, page 81:
- (archaic, rare) The razorbill
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| gairfowl | alternative | lexicographic | |
| gurfel | alternative | lexicographic | |
| garefowls | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| gare-fowl | alternative | lexicographic |