# gannet

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɡænɪt/ · frequency rank #74,114

## Definitions
1. Any of three species of large seabird in the genus Morus, of the family Sulidae. They have black and white bodies and long pointed wings, and hunt for fish by plunge diving and pursuing their prey underwater.
2. A voracious eater; a glutton.

## Etymology
From Middle English ganet, gante, from Old English ganot, from Proto-West Germanic *ganat, *ganatō, from Proto-Germanic *ganatuz, *ganutô (“gander”), ultimately related to Proto-Germanic *ganzô.
Cognates
Cognate with Dutch gent, Middle Low German gante, German Ganter, Ganser, all “gander, male goose”.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/gannet