tropic bird

or trop·ic·bird

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.

Nearby words

trophy, trophy room, trophy wife, tropia, tropic, tropic bird, tropic of cancer, tropic of capricorn, tropical, tropical abscess, tropical acne

Origin of tropic bird

First recorded in 1675–85

Also called boatswain bird.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for tropicbird

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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012