thunderbird

[thuhn-der-burd]

noun

1. (in the mythology of some North American Indians) a huge, eaglelike bird capable of producing thunder, lightning, and rain.

thunderbird

/ ˈθʌndəˌbɜːd /

noun

1. a legendary bird that produces thunder, lightning, and rain according to the folk belief of several North American Indian peoples

Word History and Origins

Origin of thunderbird¹

First recorded in 1820–30; thunder + bird

Example Sentences

The college mascot is the thunderbird and ”feel the thunder” is the school slogan.

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Officially, these prehistoric birds are the dromornithids, but everyone who studies them calls them thunderbirds--and for good reason.

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Some Indigenous tribes believed the birds brought thunder when they flapped their enormous wings, earning them the nickname “thunderbird.”

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Headed by the histrionic General Hugh Johnson, the National Recovery Administration issued window placards embossed with a blue thunderbird to signify their compliance with its standards.

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The practice runs through their language and culture, and the tribe’s symbol, a thunderbird holding a whale in its talons, speaks to its centrality for tribal identity.

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