English Explanatory Dictionary

petrel

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Any of various species of black, grey, or white seabirds in the order Procellariiformes.

Pronunciation

pĕt'rəl /ˈpɛt.ɹəl/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-petrel.wav

Word forms

petrel petrels

Etymology

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.

Derived words

Antarctic petrel ashy storm petrel Atlantic petrel Barau's petrel Bermuda petrel black-bellied storm petrel black-capped petrel black storm petrel black-winged petrel blue petrel Bonin petrel Bulwer's petrel cape petrel Chatham petrel common diving petrel Cook's petrel dark-rumped petrel diving petrel European storm petrel Fea's petrel Fiji petrel fork-tailed storm petrel fulmarine petrel fulmar-petrel gadfly petrel giant petrel Gould's petrel great-winged petrel grey-backed storm petrel Guadalupe storm petrel Hawaiian petrel herald petrel Juan Fernandez petrel Kaeding's petrel Kerguelen petrel Kermadec petrel Leach's petrel Leach's storm petrel least storm petrel Madeiran storm petrel Madeira petrel Magellan diving petrel Magenta petrel Markham's storm petrel Mas a Tierra petrel Mascarene petrel Matsudaira's storm petrel mottled petrel Murphy's petrel New Zealand storm petrel northern giant petrel Peruvian diving petrel Phoenix petrel Polynesian storm petrel Providence petrel Pycroft's petrel ringed storm petrel snow petrel soft-plumaged petrel southern giant petrel
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