bald eagle

noun

: an eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) of North America that is brown when young with white only on the undersides of the wings but in full adult plumage has white head and neck feathers and a white tail

Illustration of bald eagle

Illustration of bald eagle

Examples of bald eagle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Images of the American flag and bald eagles appear on his clinic’s new website among photos of svelte women. Jessica Schreifels, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025 In the late fall, the deer are running and the red-tail hawks and bald eagles are on the hunt. Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 12 Dec. 2025 In a Facebook post, the Tamarack Wildlife Center said a call came in on Thanksgiving about a family that had found a bald eagle entangled in a fence. Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025 People are well outnumbered by the humpbacks and pods of orcas, bald eagles and herons, seals and sea lions grunting their tone-deaf tunes atop the rocks. Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 5 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bald eagle

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bald eagle was in 1688

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Cite this Entry

“Bald eagle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bald%20eagle. Accessed 22 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

bald eagle

noun
: a North American eagle which is mostly brown when young but has white head, neck, and tail feathers when mature

More from Merriam-Webster on bald eagle

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