/ ˈpʌfɪn; NAmE / noun
a black and white bird with a large, brightly coloured beak that lives near the sea, common in the N Atlantic
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (denoting the Manx shearwater): apparently from puff + -ing , with reference to the Manx shearwater's fat nestlings. The later use is a confusion, by association of nesting habits and habitat.