bald eagle

American  

noun

bald eagles plural

1. a large, fish-eating eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, of the U.S. and Canada, having dark golden-brown back and wings, and white plumage on the head and tail in the adult: some recently endangered populations are now recovering.

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bald eagle British  

noun

1. a large eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus , of North America, having a white head and tail, a yellow bill, and dark wings and body. It is the US national bird

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bald eagles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bald eagle

An Americanism dating back to 1680–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bald eagle

A bald eagle believed to be Jackie, star of a Big Bear nest cam, is in stable condition at a rehabilitation center after being rescued over the weekend, according to the nonprofit behind the livestream.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

Outside, with complete rods, we cast on ponds as a resident bald eagle circled overhead.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

It comes from a bald eagle known as "Old Abe" -- named for president Abraham Lincoln -- that served as a mascot to Union troops in over 30 battles in the US Civil War.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

A young bald eagle has taken flight, leaving an empty nest in Big Bear Valley, California.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

We went by the bald eagle, the white-tailed deer, the tahr goats, the lions, and the striped hyena.

From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel