Adjacent Words

Petrel definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PET'REL, n. An aquatic fowl of the genus Procellaria.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: relatively small long-winged tube-nosed bird that flies far from land

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: alteration of earlier pitteral Date: 1676 any of numerous seabirds (especially families Procellariidae and Hydrobatidae); especially one of the smaller long-winged birds that fly far from land — compare storm petrel

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. any of various sea birds of the family Procellariidae or Hydrobatidae, usu. flying far from land. Etymology: 17th c. (also pitteral), of uncert. orig.: later assoc. with St Peter (Matt.
14:30)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Petrel Pe"trel, n. [F. p['e]trel; a dim. of the name Peter, L. Petrus, Gr. ? a stone (--John i. 42); -- probably so called in allusion to St. Peter's walking on the sea. See Petrify.] (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of longwinged sea birds belonging to the family Procellarid[ae]. The small petrels, or Mother Carey's chickens, belong to {Oceanites.html">Oceanites.html">{Oceanites, {Oceanodroma.html">Oceanodroma.html">{Oceanodroma, {Procellaria.html">Procellaria.html">{Procellaria, and several allied genera. Diving petrel, any bird of the genus Pelecanoides. They chiefly inhabit the southern hemisphere. Fulmar petrel, Giant petrel. See Fulmar. Pintado petrel, the Cape pigeon. See under Cape. Pintado petrel, any one of several small petrels, especially Procellaria pelagica, or Mother Carey's chicken, common on both sides of the Atlantic.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(petrels) A petrel is a type of sea bird which often flies a long way from land. There are many kinds of petrel. N-COUNT