puffin

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: puf=fin

CIDE DICTIONARY

puffin, n. [Akin to puff.].

•  An arctic sea bird Fratercula arctica) allied to the auks, and having a short, thick, swollen beak, whence the name; -- called also bottle nose, cockandy, coulterneb, marrot, mormon, pope, and sea parrot.  [1913 Webster]

  " The name is also applied to other related species, as the horned puffin (Fratercula corniculata), the tufted puffin (Lunda cirrhata), and the razorbill."  [1913 Webster]
•  The puffball.  [1913 Webster]
•  A sort of apple.  Rider's Dict. (1640).  [1913 Webster]

Manx puffin, the Manx shearwater. See under Manx.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

puffin, n. any of various sea birds of the family Alcidae native to the N. Atlantic and N. Pacific, esp. Fratercula arctica, having a large head with a brightly coloured triangular bill, and black and white plumage.

Etymology

ME poffin, pophyn, of unkn. orig.