Word Study
petrel
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Noun petrel has 1 sense
- petrel(n = noun.animal) Array - relatively small long-winged tube-nosed bird that flies far from land; Array is a kind of oceanic bird, pelagic bird
is a member of family procellariidae, procellariidae
has particulars: procellaria aequinoctialis, white-chinned petrel, giant fulmar, giant petrel, macronectes giganteus, fulmar, fulmar petrel, fulmarus glacialis, shearwater, storm petrel
CIDE DICTIONARY
petrel, n. [F. pétrel; 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.].
Any one of numerous species of longwinged sea birds belonging to the family Procellaridæ . The small petrels, or Mother Carey's chickens, belong to Oceanites , Oceanodroma , Procellaria , and several allied genera. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
petrel, 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)
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