Loon vs. Lunatic — What's the Difference?

Loons (North America) or divers (United Kingdom / Ireland) are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Eurasia. All living species of loons are members of the genus Gavia, family Gaviidae and order Gaviiformes .

Lunatic is an antiquated term referring to a person who is seen as mentally ill, dangerous, foolish, or crazy—conditions once attributed to "lunacy". The word derives from lunaticus meaning "of the moon" or "moonstruck".

A silly or foolish person

A person who is mentally ill (not in technical use).

A large diving waterbird with a sleek black or grey head, a straight pointed bill, and short legs set far back under the body; a diver.

Mentally ill (not in technical use)

Act in a foolish or desultory way

A person who is affected by lunacy; a mentally deranged person.

Any of several fish-eating diving birds of the genus Gavia of northern regions, having a short tail, webbed feet, and a laughlike cry.

A very foolish person.

A person who is foolish or crazy.

Affected by lunacy; mentally deranged.

(slang) A crazy or deranged person; a lunatic.

Of or for people who are mentally deranged.

(obsolete) An idler, a lout.

Wildly or giddily foolish

A boy, a lad.

An insane person.

A harlot; mistress.

Crazed, mad, insane, demented.

A simpleton.

Affected by lunacy; insane; mad; crazy; demented.

An English soldier of an expeditionary army in Ireland.

Of or pertaining to, or suitable for, an insane person; evincing lunacy; as, lunatic gibberish; a lunatic asylum.

(traffic engineering) A round area of pavement that protrudes from one side of a road to accommodate turning vehicles with a wide turning circle.

A person affected by lunacy; an insane person, esp. one who has lucid intervals; a madman; a person of unsound mind.

Any of various birds, of the order Gaviiformes, of North America and Europe that dive for fish and have a short tail, webbed feet and a yodeling cry.

An insane person

A sorry fellow; a worthless person; a rogue.

A reckless impetuous irresponsible person

Any one of several aquatic, wed-footed, northern birds of the genus Urinator (formerly Colymbus), noted for their expertness in diving and swimming under water. The common loon, or great northern diver (Urinator imber, or Colymbus torquatus), and the red-throated loon or diver (Urinator septentrionalis), are the best known species. See Diver.

Insane and believed to be affected by the phases of the moon

A worthless lazy fellow

Large somewhat primitive fish-eating diving bird of the northern hemisphere having webbed feet placed far back; related to the grebes

A person with confused ideas; incapable of serious thought