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thunderbird

[thuhn-der-burd]
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noun
  1. (in the mythology of some North American Indians) a huge, eaglelike bird capable of producing thunder, lightning, and rain.

Origin of thunderbird

First recorded in 1820–30; thunder + bird
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for thunderbird

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • Most breeders name them things like Chainlightning and Thunderbird.

    Thy Rocks and Rills

    Robert Ernest Gilbert

  • Some believed every storm to be a struggle between the God of Waters and the Thunderbird.

    Legends of The Kaw

    Carrie de Voe

  • A very elaborate drill-socket; it is made of tulip wood, carved to represent the Thunderbird.

    Boy Scouts Handbook

    Boy Scouts of America

  • When the fisherman returned to his house, people of the village told him of the thunderbird.

  • If we leave now we can get a real dinner at a Haitian place I know and then head over to the Thunderbird.

    Makers

    Cory Doctorow

British Dictionary definitions for thunderbird

thunderbird

noun
  1. a legendary bird that produces thunder, lightning, and rain according to the folk belief of several North American Indian peoples
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012