Also 7 lumb, 7–9 lumme, 9 lumne. [In Shetland repr. a. ON. lóm-r; in mod. literary use partly from Shetland dialect and partly a. mod. Sw. and Da. lom.] A name given in northern seas to species of the Guillemot and the Diver, esp. Alca bruennichi and Colymbus septentrionalis (Red-throated Diver). Cf. LOON2.
[1678. Ray, Willughby’s Ornith., 343. It is common among the Norwegians and Islanders, who in their own Country Language call it Lumme.]
1694. Narborough, etc. Voy., II. 80. The Lumb … is quite black at the top, but underneath his belly even to the neck, he is snow-white.
1755. Amory, Mem. (1769), I. 129. On the water, near the rocks, there were thousands of lummes and razor-bills.
1772–84. Cook, Voy. (1790), V. 1761. The greater lumme, or diver, found in the northern parts of Europe.
1835. Sir J. Ross, Narr. 2nd Voy., iv. 51. We saw a few looms and shear-waters.
1876. C. H. Davis, Polaris Exped., xvi. 391. The result of the next day’s sport was nine dovekies, one lumne, one king-duck, and a duckling.
1886. A. W. Greely, Arctic Service, I. 48–9. On the face of these sea-ledges of Arveprins Island Bruennich’s guillemots, or looms, gather in the breeding season, not by thousands, but by tens of thousands.
b. The flesh of these birds as an article of food.
1878. A. H. Markham, Gt. Frozen Sea, iii. 46. We revelled in ‘loom soup,’ ‘loom pie,’ ‘roast loom’ [etc.].
