DEFINITIONS

storm petrel

or storm-pet·rel

SEE SYNONYMS FOR storm petrel ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any of several small, tube-nosed seabirds of the family Hydrobatidae, usually having black or sooty-brown plumage with a white rump.

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Words related to storm petrel

harbinger, omen, rebel, raven

Words nearby storm petrel

storm cone, storm door, storm glass, storm house, storm lantern, storm petrel, storm pit, storm sewer, storm signal, storm surge, storm track
Compare stormy petrel.

Origin of storm petrel

First recorded in 1795–1805
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for storm petrel

  • Like the puffin and the storm-petrel, razor-bills rarely leave the sea except for breeding.

    The Isles of Scilly|Jessie Mothersole

British Dictionary definitions for storm petrel

storm petrel

noun

any small petrel, such as the northern Hydrobates pelagicus, of the family Hydrobatidae, typically having a dark plumage with paler underpartsAlso called: Mother Carey's chicken, stormy petrel

Word Origin for storm petrel

C19: so named because it was thought to be a harbinger of rough weather
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