gooney bird

or goon·y bird

[ goo-nee burd ]

noun

any of several albatrosses, especially the black-footed albatross and the Laysan albatross, occurring on islands in the Pacific Ocean, often near naval bases.
Slang. a foolish or awkward person or thing; goon.

Origin of gooney bird

First recorded in 1940–45; see origin at goon

Also called goon·ey, goon·y .

Words Nearby gooney bird

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for gooney bird

gooney bird

/ (ˈɡuːnɪ) /

noun

an informal name for the albatross, esp the black-footed albatross (Diomedea nigripes)

Origin of gooney bird

C19 gony (originally sailors' slang), probably from dialect gooney fool, of obscure origin; compare goon

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

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