English Explanatory Dictionary

bedlamer

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A young harp seal after its second moult.

Pronunciation

/ˈbɛdləmɚ/

Word forms

bedlamer bedlamers

Etymology

Borrowed from French bête de la mer. The construction and spelling of the loanword was evidently influenced by Bedlam and bedlam, suggesting reanalysis as bedlam + -er. This seems all the more plausible given that these seals are sometimes quite vocal, doing a lot of barking, yelling, and mumbling.

Derived words

Bedlamer Head
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