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petrel
[ pe-truhl ]
/ ˈpɛ trəl /
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noun
any of numerous tube-nosed seabirds of the families Procellariidae, Hydrobatidae, and Pelecanoididae.
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Compare storm petrel, diving petrel.
Origin of petrel
1670–80; earlier pitteral, of uncertain origin; perhaps altered by association with St. Peter (who attempted to walk on the water of Lake Gennesareth), alluding to the bird's habit of flying close to the ocean surface
Words nearby petrel
Petrarch, Petrarchan, Petrarchan sonnet, Petrarchism, Petrarchist, petrel, petri-, petrichor, petri dish, Petrie, petrifaction
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use petrel in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for petrel
petrel
/ (ˈpɛtrəl) /
noun
any oceanic bird of the order Procellariiformes, having a hooked bill and tubular nostrils: includes albatrosses, storm petrels, and shearwatersSee also storm petrel
Word Origin for petrel
C17: variant of earlier pitteral, associated by folk etymology with St Peter, because the bird appears to walk on water
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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