うみねこ

See also: ウミネコ

Japanese

Alternative spelling
海猫

Etymology

海 (umi, “sea”) +‎ 猫 (neko, “cat”), comparing its cry with that of a cat. Compare English seamew.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) うみねこ [ùmínékó] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟mʲine̞ko̞]

Noun

うみねこ or ウミネコ • (umineko) 

1. black-tailed gull, Larus crassirostris

Usage notes

• As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary).