storm-petrel
Definition
- Noun:
- A small seabird: "storm-petrel" refers to any of various small seabirds of the family Hydrobatidae, typically dark in colour with a white rump, known for flying low over the ocean surface and often appearing during storms.
Usage Examples
- (A small seabird appeared near the ocean surface in stormy conditions.)
- (Sailors thought these birds signaled approaching storms.)
Advanced Usage
- "storm-petrel" as a symbol: In literature or metaphor, "storm-petrel" can represent a person who thrives in or foreshadows turbulent or chaotic situations.
- The journalist was a storm-petrel of political upheaval, always appearing where unrest was brewing. (The journalist seemed to predict or be drawn to conflict.)
Variants and Related Words
- Storm-petrel (alternative spelling): The same bird, sometimes written without a hyphen as "storm petrel".
- Petrel (n): A general term for seabirds in the order Procellariiformes, including storm-petrels.
- The petrel family includes many species adapted to life on the open ocean.
Synonyms
- Mother Carey's chicken: A folk name for the storm-petrel, especially the European storm-petrel ().
- Storm bird: An informal synonym, though sometimes used for other birds associated with storms.
Related Idioms
- "A storm-petrel": Used figuratively to describe someone who brings or predicts trouble.
- He was a storm-petrel in the office, always stirring up controversy. (He was a person who caused or foreshadowed conflict.)
Notes on Usage
- The word "storm-petrel" is primarily a zoological term and is most common in ornithology or maritime contexts. It is rarely used in everyday conversation unless discussing seabirds or nautical folklore.