petrel

noun

pe·​trel ˈpe-trəl How to pronounce petrel (audio) ˈpē- How to pronounce petrel (audio)
: 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

Examples of petrel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The gear included snow shoes because another of the island’s birds, the Bonin petrel, burrows deep tunnels into the ground to nest. Erika I. Ritchie, Orange County Register, 5 Feb. 2024 That’s the normal timeline of events for birds like the Antarctic petrel, the snow petrel and the south polar skua. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Mar. 2023 The Bermuda petrel was hunted by Spanish sailors for food and last seen in the 1620s. Melanie Stetson Freeman, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 July 2023 Hawaii’s chain of volcanic islands, which host more endangered species than any other state, are home to some notable endangered species, including the Hawaiian petrel, also called the ʻuaʻu, and the crested honeycreeper, or 'Ākohekohe. Camille Fine, USA TODAY, 21 June 2023 These areas are renowned for hosting two of the world’s largest Antarctic petrel colonies. Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 13 Mar. 2023 Now, Mann and her colleagues are left with an entirely different challenge: how to bring back the seabirds that have long since abandoned Lehua Island, including the ʻuaʻu (Hawaiian petrel), ‘ewa‘ewa (sooty tern) and hinaokū (blue-gray noddy). Tim Lydon, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Apr. 2023 Other petrels, meanwhile, typically must hunt while flying or swimming in the ocean. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2023 Before the arrival of European explorers in the 1800s, the island’s steep headlands teemed with hundreds of thousands of raucous seabirds, including albatrosses, terns and petrels, whose guano oozed down bluffs to enrich waters brimming with fish. Tim Lydon, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'petrel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

earlier also pitteril, pitteral, of obscure origin

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of petrel was in 1602

Dictionary Entries Near petrel

Cite this Entry

“Petrel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petrel. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

petrel

noun
pe·​trel ˈpe-trəl How to pronounce petrel (audio) ˈpē- How to pronounce petrel (audio)
: any of various seabirds with long wings that fly far from land

More from Merriam-Webster on petrel

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