SHEARWATER

shearwater

(noun) long-winged oceanic bird that in flight skims close to the waves

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

shearwater (plural shearwaters)

Any of the long-winged pelagic seabirds of the family Procellariidae in genera Puffinus, Ardenna, and Calonectris, that breed on islands and coastal cliffs.

(by extension) Any of the entire family Procellariidae, including certain of the petrels.

Synonyms

• haglet

Anagrams

• earthwares

Source: Wiktionary

Shear"wa`ter, n. Etym: [Shear + water; cf. G. wassersherer; -- so called from its running lightly along the surface of the water.] (Zoöl.)

Definition: Any one of numerous species of long-winged oceanic birds of the genus Puffinus and related genera. They are allied to the petrels, but are larger. The Manx shearwater (P. Anglorum), the dusky shearwater (P. obscurus), and the greater shearwater (P. major), are well-known species of the North Atlantic. See Hagdon.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition