Cabot's tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis acuflavidus) is a bird in the family Sternidae sometimes separated from the Sandwich tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis). It has since been shown to be more closely related to the elegant tern (Thalasseus elegans). The genus name is from Ancient Greek Thalasseus, "fisherman" from thalassa, "sea". The specific acuflavida is Latin from acus, "needle", and flavidus, "yellowish". The IOC recognizes the bird as distinct, but most other taxonomists, including both committees of the AOU, consider it conspecific with the Sandwich tern.