petrel

[ pe-truh l ]

/ ˈpɛ trəl /

noun

any of numerous tube-nosed seabirds of the families Procellariidae, Hydrobatidae, and Pelecanoididae.

Nearby words

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for petrel

Like all its kindred, the Stormy 255 Petrel is a close sitter, remaining in its hole until dragged out.
British Sea Birds|Charles Dixon
The second and third mates of the Petrel will sail with me again, and so will all the men who were rescued.
A Chapter of Adventures|G. A. Henty
After hoosh, a friendly little Wilson petrel came flying from the northern sea to our tent.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson
Before we got into harness on the same day, a Wilson petrel flew above us.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson

The petrel is a bird not much unlike a swallow, but smaller, and with a shorter tail.
A Voyage to New Holland|William Dampier

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for petrel

petrel

seabird, 1670s, pitteral, modern spelling first recorded 1703 by English explorer William Dampier (1651-1715), who wrote the bird was so called from its way of flying with its feet just skimming the surface of the water, which recalls the apostle's walk on the sea of Galilee (Matt. xiv:28); if so, it likely was formed in English as a diminutive of Peter (Late Latin Petrus). If this is folk etymology, the true source of the name is undiscovered. French pétrel (1760) probably is from English.