albatross

American  

[al-buh-traws, -tros] / ˈæl bəˌtrɔs, -ˌtrɒs /

noun

• albatrosses
  plural

1. any of several large, web-footed sea birds of the family Diomedeidae that have the ability to remain aloft for long periods.

2. a seemingly inescapable moral or emotional burden, as of guilt or responsibility.

3. something burdensome that impedes action or progress.

4. Textiles.

   1. a lightweight worsted fabric with a crepe or pebble finish.

   2. a plain-weave cotton fabric with a soft nap surface.

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albatross British  

/ ˈælbəˌtrɒs /

noun

1. any large oceanic bird of the genera Diomedea and Phoebetria, family Diomedeidae, of cool southern oceans: order Procellariiformes (petrels). They have long narrow wings and are noted for a powerful gliding flight See also wandering albatross

2. a constant and inescapable burden or handicap

   an albatross of debt

3. golf a score of three strokes under par for a hole

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• albatrosses
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of albatross

1675–85; variant of algatross frigate bird < Portuguese alcatraz pelican, probably < Arabic al-ghaṭṭāṣ a kind of sea eagle, literally, the diver; -b- for -g- perhaps by association with Latin albus white (the bird's color)

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Explanation

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's an albatross — in which case it's somewhere between the first two. An albatross is one of the largest flying birds in the world. The word albatross comes from the Spanish and Portuguese word alcatraz meaning "pelican," but it's not just animals that this word describes. Think of the huge white prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco that hindered its inmates from going anywhere, reminding them daily of the guilt and burden of their crime — all feelings that are meant to be conjured by something that's an albatross in a person's life.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

albatross albatrosses

“So it’s become like an inflexible albatross that causes a lot of waste of electricity,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

The latest one is Hernandez, who’s running for a second term against a slew of opponents trying to hang MacArthur Park like an albatross around the neck of the 35-year-old politician.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2026

Six months to a year from now, Absolute Resolve could be forgotten in the rush of greater events, look like one of America’s greatest foreign-policy successes, or become an albatross around the administration’s neck.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 4, 2026

But now that guarantee is an albatross, with AI skeptics worried OpenAI won’t be able to pay.

From Barron's ● Dec. 13, 2025

The remaining bone of contention is a thorn in his side and an albatross around his neck.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

Elephant seals crowd its beaches, king penguins climb its green slopes, and albatrosses glide above the open landscape.

From Science Daily ● May 14, 2026

Boston-based travel blogger Jake Rosmarin posted on Instagram how the ship was almost immediately greeted by albatrosses, dolphins, sea lions and humpback whales.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

While albatrosses usually mate for life, they will find new mates to breed with if their partner dies.

From New York Times ● Dec. 6, 2024

About 1.3 million of these birds are Laysan albatrosses like Wisdom.

From NewsForKids.net ● Dec. 5, 2024

Over five weeks, Darwin collected carcasses of finches, mockingbirds, blackbirds, grosbeaks, wrens, albatrosses, iguanas, and an array of sea and land plants.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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