Definition

Noun: 1. A very large seabird of the albatross family: The wandering albatross is a specific species of albatross (Diomedea exulans) known for its immense size, having the largest wingspan of any living bird. Its typical plumage is white with wide black wings.

Examples of Usage

• The wandering albatross can glide for hours without flapping its wings, using ocean winds.
• Scientists tracked the migration of a wandering albatross that traveled thousands of miles.
• The distinctive white body and wide black wings of the wandering albatross make it easily identifiable at sea.

Advanced Usage

• In literature and metaphor: The bird is often used as a symbol of long-distance travel, freedom, and solitude due to its epic oceanic journeys.
  • His spirit was like a wandering albatross, forever seeking distant horizons.

Variants and Related Words

• Albatross (noun): The general family of large seabirds to which the wandering albatross belongs.
• Gooney bird (noun, informal): A colloquial name for albatrosses, sometimes used for the wandering albatross.

Synonyms

• Snowy albatross: An alternative common name for the same species.
• White-winged albatross: Another name occasionally used, referring to its plumage.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• An albatross around one's neck: This common idiom refers to a persistent burden or curse. It originates from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem , in which a sailor who kills an albatross is forced to wear its carcass around his neck as punishment. While the idiom uses the general term "albatross," the majestic wandering albatross is often what people visualize.
  • The failed business venture became an albatross around his neck for years.

Noun

1. very large albatross; white with wide black wings