storm petrel

or storm-petrel

See synonyms for storm petrel on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. any of several small, tube-nosed seabirds of the family Hydrobatidae, usually having black or sooty-brown plumage with a white rump.

Origin of storm petrel

1
First recorded in 1795–1805

Words Nearby storm petrel

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How to use storm petrel in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for storm petrel

storm petrel

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

Origin of storm petrel

1
C19: so named because it was thought to be a harbinger of rough weather

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