stormy petrel

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noun

the British storm petrel, Hydrobates pelagicus, of the eastern Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean.

a person who causes or likes trouble or strife.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of stormy petrel

First recorded in 1770–80

Words nearby stormy petrel

storm trooper, storm troops, storm warning, storm window, stormy, stormy petrel, Stornoway, Storrs, Storting, story, story arc

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use stormy petrel in a sentence

Weary to death, Eric flung himself down, and slept deep and sound till the morning, on board the Stormy Petrel.
Eric, or Little by Little|Frederic W. Farrar
He found his vein in weekly journalism, and for nearly forty years was the stormy petrel of Canadian politics.
The Canadian Dominion|Oscar D. Skelton
A fishing-schooner, if well handled, is a veritable stormy petrel in riding out a blow.
Blow The Man Down|Holman Day
Long before the first outbreak of hostilities in America Miranda had played the part of stormy petrel in other continents.
South America|W. H. Koebel

But the good Bishop he walked as easily as a stormy petrel, for he was a man of God.
Famous Privateersmen and Adventurers of the Sea|Charles H. L. Johnston

British Dictionary definitions for stormy petrel

stormy petrel

noun

another name for storm petrel

a person who brings or portends trouble

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

stormy petrel

Origin of stormy petrel

Words nearby stormy petrel

Words related to stormy petrel

How to use stormy petrel in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for stormy petrel