tropic bird
or trop·ic·bird
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noun
any of several web-footed seabirds of the family Phaethontidae, chiefly of tropical seas, having white plumage with black markings and a pair of greatly elongated central tail feathers.
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Also called boatswain bird.
Origin of tropic bird
First recorded in 1675–85
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
British Dictionary definitions for tropic bird
tropicbird
/ (ˈtrɒpɪkˌbɜːd) /
noun
any aquatic bird of the tropical family Phaethontidae, having long slender tail feathers and a white plumage with black markings: order Pelecaniformes (pelicans, cormorants, etc)
Word Origin for tropicbird
C17: so called because it is found in the tropical regions
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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