: 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
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The pigeon-sized petrels (Pterodroma deserta), which nest on Portugal's Bugio Island, off western North Africa, will spend weeks at sea in a foraging frenzy that takes them on a 7,500-mile (12,000-km) round trip across the Atlantic Ocean.
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New Atlas, 11 July 2024
On Burgess Island, New Zealand, for example, common diving petrels and little shearwaters returned within two decades after rats were removed.
—Ethan Freedman, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 May 2024
Birds typically need long, narrow wings to soar efficiently—seabirds such as albatrosses and petrels are perfect examples.
—Michael B. Habib, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
Albatrosses, petrels and other seabirds that remain loyal to one breeding spot rarely try new locations, even if birds from the same species have lived there before.
—Ethan Freedman, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for petrel 
New Atlas, 11 July 2024
On Burgess Island, New Zealand, for example, common diving petrels and little shearwaters returned within two decades after rats were removed.
—Ethan Freedman, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 May 2024
Birds typically need long, narrow wings to soar efficiently—seabirds such as albatrosses and petrels are perfect examples.
—Michael B. Habib, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
Albatrosses, petrels and other seabirds that remain loyal to one breeding spot rarely try new locations, even if birds from the same species have lived there before.
—Ethan Freedman, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for petrel
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'petrel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Petrel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petrel. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
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