terne Meaning & Definition
What Does Terne Mean?
Terne is an adjective that means Colourless, drab, dull. As a noun, it means An alloy coating made of lead and tin (or, more recently, zinc and tin), often with some antimony, used to cover iron or steel. As a noun, it means Obsolete spelling of tern (“any of various seabirds of the subfamily Sternidae (of the family Laridae) that are similar to gulls but are smaller and have a forked tail”).
Terne: Key Facts
| Part of speech | adjective, noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /tɜːn/ |
| Plural | ternes |
| Comparative / superlative | more terne, most terne |
Terne Definition (Adjective)
- Colourless, drab, dull.
Terne as a Noun
- An alloy coating made of lead and tin (or, more recently, zinc and tin), often with some antimony, used to cover iron or steel.
- Synonym of terneplate (“thin iron or steel sheeting coated with this alloy”).
Noun
- Obsolete spelling of tern (“any of various seabirds of the subfamily Sternidae (of the family Laridae) that are similar to gulls but are smaller and have a forked tail”).
Noun
- An alloy coating made of lead and tin (or, more recently, zinc and tin) and used to cover steel.
Synonyms of Terne
The source does not list synonyms for this entry.
Terne synonyms and antonyms →Word Forms & Grammar
terne (comparative more terne, superlative most terne)
terne (countable and uncountable, plural ternes)
terne (plural ternes)
Words That Rhyme With Terne
Origin of Terne
Origin 1: Borrowed from French terne,[1] from Middle French, from Old French terne (“dim, dull”), from Frankish *darnī (“concealed, hidden; secret”); further etymology unknown, perhaps related to Proto-West Germanic *derk (“dark; dirty”), perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰerg- (“to darken, dim”). Doublet of dern.
Origin 2: From terneplate,[2] probably from terne (“colourless, drab, dull”) (see etymology 1) + plate (“layer of a material on the surface of something, plating”).
Origin 3: A variant of tern.
Common Questions About Terne
Is terne an adjective or a noun?
Terne is mainly used as an adjective, but it can also be used as a noun.
What is the plural of terne?
The plural of terne is ternes.
What are the comparative and superlative forms of terne?
The comparative form is more terne and the superlative form is most terne.