boatswain bird
Definition
Noun: 1. A mostly white, web-footed tropical seabird often found far from land. It is a term for a type of tropicbird, characterized by its long tail streamers.
Usage Notes
- "Boatswain bird" is a traditional or folk name, primarily used in nautical contexts or by sailors. The more common and precise modern term is tropicbird.
- It functions as a countable noun (e.g., , ).
Examples
- The sailors spotted a lone boatswain bird circling the mast, a sign they were in tropical waters.
- Boatswain birds are skilled fliers, often seen far from any coastline.
- We observed the distinctive long tail feathers of the boatswain bird.
Advanced Usage
- The name "boatswain bird" is thought to originate from the bird's call, which sailors likened to the whistle of a boatswain (a ship's officer).
Variants and Related Words
- Tropicbird (n): The standard modern ornithological term for this bird.
- Phaethon (n): The scientific genus name for tropicbirds.
Synonyms
- Tropicbird
- Bosun bird (an alternative spelling variant)
Noun
-
mostly white web-footed tropical seabird often found far from land
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