gannet

Everyday

1. A large white seabird with black wing tips and a yellowish head that dives from high up into the sea to catch fish. tree →
2. (UK, informal) A greedy person who eats a lot, very fast. tree →

In the lessons

In science and nature lessons gannets are studied as diving seabirds that nest in huge colonies on cliffs and islands, for example around Britain, Ireland, New Zealand and Canada. In everyday British talk, calling someone a gannet is a jokey way of saying they eat greedily. Phrases: a gannet colony, you greedy gannet.

Examples

• A gannet can dive into the sea at almost 100 kilometres per hour. tree →
• Thousands of gannets nest on Bass Rock in Scotland. tree →
• We watched gannets plunge into the waves to catch mackerel. tree →
• You ate all the biscuits, you gannet! tree →
• My brother is a real gannet at birthday parties. tree →
• New Zealand has a big gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers. tree →
• The gannet's air sacs protect it when it hits the water. tree →

Note

Spelling: g-a-n-n-e-t, double n, single t. Plural: gannets. The «greedy person» sense is mild teasing, not a swear word, but it is still a bit rude to say to someone. It is a myth that gannets go blind from diving; their eyes are protected.