Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

skua

/ˈskjuːə/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.84 in modern English

Syllables: skua
IPA: /ˈskjuːə/

8

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any of various predatory seabirds of the genus Stercorarius that often chase other seabirds to steal their catches.

verb

To steal, or borrow without permission.

Slang; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"We skua crew mess pastries and cheese, skua toe warmers, gloves. I skuaed her chocolate. Can't help it."

Etymology

From Faroese skúgvur (“Great Skua”), from Old Norse skúfr, of unknown origin.

Origin

Source language: Old Norse

Word Breakdown

Root: skúgvur, skúfr

Usage

Inflected Forms

skuas (plural) skuas (present, singular) skuaing (participle, present) skuaed (participle, past) skuaed (past)

Phrases

Arctic skua MacCormick's skua pomarine skua pomatorhine skua

Synonyms

jaeger bonxie

Homonyms

skewer (non-rhotic)

Questions

How do you pronounce skua?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈskjuːə/.
What does skua mean?: Any of various predatory seabirds of the genus Stercorarius that often chase other seabirds to steal their catches.
Where does skua come from?: It is traced to Old Norse.

How to pronounce skua

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “skua”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈskjuːə/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “skua”.
Repeat and practice — Say “skua” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.