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storm petrel
noun
variants
or less commonly storm-petrel
ˈstȯrm-ˈpe-trəl
-ˈpē-trəl
: any of various widespread small dark petrels (family Hydrobatidae) that typically return to land only to nest usually in burrows
called also Mother Carey's chicken
Examples of storm petrel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Grandjean, an enthusiastic bird-watcher with the extravagant eyebrows of a rockhopper penguin, had fond memories of banding storm petrels in the Faroes in his late teens and was familiar with the grindadráp.
—Kim Tingley, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2023
Nesting storm petrels, wood mice and a variety of moths also call the island home.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Feb. 2023
This is what might have happened with the New Zealand storm petrel.
—Claire Bugos, Discover Magazine, 28 May 2021
Prior to the rediscovery, the New Zealand government began a massive conservation effort to rid that region of feral cats and rats, which prey on native species like the storm petrel.
—Claire Bugos, Discover Magazine, 28 May 2021
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Word History
First Known Use
circa 1833, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near storm petrel
Cite this Entry
“Storm petrel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/storm%20petrel. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
storm petrel
noun
: any of various small dark petrels that usually return to land only to nest typically in burrows
called also Mother Carey's chicken
More from Merriam-Webster on storm petrel
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about storm petrel
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