storm petrel
or storm-pet·rel
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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Nearby words
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
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