: any of numerous seabirds (especially families Procellariidae and Hydrobatidae)
especially
: one of the smaller long-winged birds that fly far from land compare storm petrel
Examples of petrel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Giant petrels and imperial cormorants come to nest, and sea lions and Magellanic penguins congregate.
—
Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 7 May 2025
This 70-gram bird, often found in groups of 8 to 40, has been observed pecking at wounded animals, particularly seabirds like Galápagos petrels, to access their blood.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Like many of New Zealand’s native birds, giant petrels face several threats.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2025
The black-winged petrel—a seabird whose breeding success was once as low as 2.5%—experienced a dramatic increase to 67% following the removal of the rodents, according to an August 2022 study published in Bird Conservation International.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
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Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 7 May 2025
This 70-gram bird, often found in groups of 8 to 40, has been observed pecking at wounded animals, particularly seabirds like Galápagos petrels, to access their blood.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Like many of New Zealand’s native birds, giant petrels face several threats.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2025
The black-winged petrel—a seabird whose breeding success was once as low as 2.5%—experienced a dramatic increase to 67% following the removal of the rodents, according to an August 2022 study published in Bird Conservation International.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petrel
Cite this Entry
“Petrel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petrel. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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