cor·mo·rant / ˈkôrmərənt/ • n. a large voracious diving bird (genera Phalacrocorax and Nannopterum, family Phalacrocoracidae) with a long hooked bill, short legs, and mainly dark plumage. Its numerous species include the widespread great (or European) cormorant (P. carbo) and the North American double-crested cormorant (P. auritus).

cormorant Bird found in coastal and inland waters throughout the world. It has a hooked bill, a black body and webbed feet. It dives well and, in some areas of se Asia, it is trained to catch and retrieve fish. There are 30 species. Length: to 1m (3.3ft). Family Phalacrocoracidae; genus Phalacrocorax.

cormorant XIII. — OF. cormaran (mod. cormoran), earlier cormareng, for *corp mareng, repr. (with assim. of adj. suffix to Gmc. -ing) medL. corvus marīnus ‘sea raven’. For the final parasitic t cf. pageant, pheasant.

cormorant this large diving bird is taken as the type of an insatiably greedy or rapacious person. The name is recorded from Middle English, and comes via Old French from medieval Latin corvus marinus ‘sea-raven’.