Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
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noun
Any of various species of black, grey, or white seabirds in the order Procellariiformes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
relatively small long-winged tube-nosed bird that flies far from land
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: pelagic bird, oceanic bird
Narrower terms: white-chinned petrel, Procellaria aequinoctialis, giant petrel, giant fulmar, Macronectes giganteus, fulmar, fulmar petrel, Fulmarus glacialis, shearwater, storm petrel
History
From earlier pitteral. Perhaps a diminutive of Peter, with reference to St. Peter's walking on the water (Matthew 14:29). A derivation from patter or pitter-patter has been suggested, for instance by ornithologist Elliott Ladd Coues.
Across languages
34 source translations are retained for this English entry.
