fulmar

F4U1L1M3A1R1
/ˈfʊlmɑː(ɹ)/

noun

Either of two species of pelagic seabird in the genus Fulmarus, Fulmarus glacialis and F. glacialoides, which breed on cliffs.

Similar
fulmar-petrelstinkerfulmar petrelFulmarus glacialis
UncommonScrabble 11

Meanings

nounfulmar (plural fulmars)

plural fulmars

  1. Either of two species of pelagic seabird in the genus Fulmarus, Fulmarus glacialis and F. glacialoides, which breed on cliffs.

    In particular, fulmars have the distinctive trait of vomiting half-digested fish oil when approached on the nest and should be given a wide berth wherever possible.

    2009, Gary Latter, “Scottish Rock”, in North, volume 2, page 383
    2 more examples

    In the southern districts, the Inuit hunted fulmars with bird darts from kayaks (Helms 1926). The Nipisat people may have hunted fulmar and great shearwater, probably using similar methods.

    2004, Anne Birgitte Gotfredsen, Tinna Møbjerg, Nipisat - A Saqqaq Culture Site in Sisimiut, Central West Greenland, page 104

    And why oh why is it always bloody fulmars following us about? Have they got nothing better to do, these silly lickspittle fulmars, than to ape every petty twist and turn of our hollow peregrinations? I'm sick of fulmars.

    2010, Roger D. Taylor, Mingming & the Art of Minimal Ocean Sailing, page 290

    Synonyms: fulmar-petrel, stinker

Synonyms & antonyms

nounEither of two species of pelagic seabird in the genus Fulmarus, Fulmarus glacialis and F. glacialoides, which breed on cliffs.

More synonyms by meaning

nounheavy short-tailed oceanic bird of polar regions

Similar
fulmar petrelFulmarus glacialis
Broader
Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Old Norsefúll“foul”
  2. Old Norsefúlmár
  3. Icelandicfúlmár
  4. Englishfulmar

From Icelandic fúlmár, from Old Norse fúlmár, from Old Norse fúll (“foul”) + már (“gull, mew”) (see English mew), evidently in reference to the foul-smelling vomit it ejects to deter predators.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian буревестник
  • буревестник (burevestnik)seabird in the genus Fulmarus
Catalan fulmar
  • fulmarseabird in the genus Fulmarus
Czech buřňák
  • buřňákseabird in the genus Fulmarus
Danish mallemuk, isstormfugl
  • mallemukseabird in the genus Fulmarus
  • isstormfuglseabird in the genus Fulmarus
Finnish myrskyliitäjä
  • myrskyliitäjäseabird in the genus Fulmarus
French fulmar
  • fulmarseabird in the genus Fulmarus
German Eissturmvogel
  • Eissturmvogelseabird in the genus Fulmarus
Greek φουλμάρος
  • φουλμάρος (foulmáros)seabird in the genus Fulmarus
Hungarian hojsza
  • hojszaseabird in the genus Fulmarus
Icelandic fýll, múkki
  • fýllseabird in the genus Fulmarus
  • múkkiseabird in the genus Fulmarus
Irish fulmaire
  • fulmaireseabird in the genus Fulmarus
Italian fulmaro, ossifraga
  • fulmaroseabird in the genus Fulmarus
  • ossifragaseabird in the genus Fulmarus
Polish fulmar
  • fulmarseabird in the genus Fulmarus
Portuguese fulmar, pardelão
  • fulmarseabird in the genus Fulmarus
  • pardelãoseabird in the genus Fulmarus
Russian глупы́ш
  • глупы́ш (glupýš)seabird in the genus Fulmarus
Scottish Gaelic fulmair, eun-crom
  • fulmairseabird in the genus Fulmarus
  • eun-cromseabird in the genus Fulmarus
  • guga-Tiortachseabird in the genus Fulmarus
  • làir-ghlas (Arisaig)seabird in the genus Fulmarus
  • pollastairseabird in the genus Fulmarus
Slovak fulmar
  • fulmarseabird in the genus Fulmarus
Spanish fulmar
  • fulmarseabird in the genus Fulmarus
Swedish stormfågel
  • stormfågelseabird in the genus Fulmarus
Welsh adar drycin y graig
  • adar drycin y graigseabird in the genus Fulmarus

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

fulmar. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fulmar

MLA

“fulmar.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fulmar. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fulmar,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fulmar.

Source: fulmar on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.