French word

mouette

Pronunciation

IPA/mwɛt/

Meaning

  • feminine nounseagull

Example

J'ai vu une mouette qui tenait un morceau de pain.

I saw a seagull holding a piece of bread.

Illustration for mouette (seagull)

More examples

Les mouettes tournent autour du port.

The seagulls circle around the harbor.

Core concept

A pale coastal bird that often comes close to people for scraps of food.

Common phrases

  • les mouettes

    the seagulls

  • nourrir les mouettes

    feed the seagulls

  • un vol de mouettes

    a flock of seagulls

Similar words

goéland: A relatively large seabird found along coasts, with gray and white plumage.
oiseau: Any bird, including many different species, that flies with wings and has a beak.

Definition in French

Oiseau marin de petite à moyenne taille, au plumage clair, fréquentant les côtes et souvent attiré par la nourriture humaine.

Word origin

Mouette is inherited from Old French mouete, a form traditionally regarded as imitative of the bird's call.

Usage tips

  • Mouette is a feminine noun, so standard usage is une mouette and la mouette.

Word lists with this word