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.
In some cases, like the bald eagle, state wildlife officials have reintroduced the birds. Tom Langen, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025 Screenshots from a video a fisher captured of a bald eagle soaring through the sky and snagging a fish out of a lake in Canada. Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025 Beloved bald eagles Jackie and Shadow had a busy year raising two eaglets in Southern California. Helena Wegner, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025 Technically, Indiana first reintroduced bald eagles in 1985. Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 3 Sep. 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 16 Sep. 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

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