albatross means any of various large seabirds of the family Diomedeidae ranging widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific and having a hooked beak and long narrow wings.
albatross is pronounced /ˈæl.bəˌtɹɒs/.
Why “albatross” is a great word
A large, long-winged seabird of the family Diomedeidae, or a metaphor for a persistent and burdensome obstacle or source of guilt. From Spanish or Portuguese alcatraz ("pelican, gannet"), probably from Arabic الْغَطَّاس (al-ḡaṭṭās, "the diver") or from Arabic الْقَادُوس (al-qādūs, "the bucket") from Ancient Greek κάδος (kádos, "pail"), later altered under the influence of Latin albus ("white"); first attested in English c. 1670s, with the metaphorical sense of a burden originating from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (1798). Unlike the generic "burden" or the diving "gannet," an albatross is both a creature of majestic, tireless flight and the spectral weight of a transgression that cannot be shed. It is the cruciform shadow gliding for leagues on the salt wind, the ossified relic hung heavy about the neck, and the indelible stain upon the sea—a reminder that some mistakes become the very geography of one’s soul.
Etymology
Uncertain. Probably from Spanish or Portuguese alcatraz (“pelican, gannet, albatross”), probably derived from Arabic الْغَطَّاس (al-ḡaṭṭās, “the diver”) (compare Alcatraz); or from Portuguese alcatruz (“water wheel bucket”), from Arabic الْقَادُوس (al-qādūs), from Ancient Greek κάδος (kádos, “pail, jar”), in reference to the pouch of a pelican. In either case, altered under the influence of Latin albus (“white”). Not derived from modern Arabic قَطْرَس (qaṭras, “albatross”), which is perhaps borrowed from Spanish.
For sense development of "burden", see albatross around one’s neck.
noun
- Any of various large seabirds of the family Diomedeidae ranging widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific and having a hooked beak and long narrow wings.
- Any of various African and Asian pierid butterflies of the genus Appias. Some species of this genus are also known as puffins.
- A double eagle, or three under par on any one hole, except a par 3 hole.
- A long-term impediment, burden, or curse.“2006 March 13, Richard Lugar, speech to the Brookings Institution,
[…] energy is the albatross of U.S. national security.”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- cormorant 82% match — Any of various medium-large black seabirds of the family Phalacrocoracidae which dive into water for fish and other aquatic animals, found throughout the world except for islands in the centre of the Pacific Ocean; specifically, the great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo). vs albatross →
- curlew 78% match — Any of several migratory wading birds in the genus Numenius, remarkable for their long, slender, downcurved bills. vs albatross →
- altivolant 77% match — Flying high; soaring. vs albatross →
- peregrine 77% match — Wandering, travelling, migratory. vs albatross →
- gyrfalcon 76% match — Any large falcon, especially as used to fly at herons. vs albatross →
- halcyon 76% match — A kingfisher whose nesting by the sea was said, in classical mythology, to cause the Gods to restrain the wind and waves. vs albatross →
- pelagic 76% match — Living in the open sea rather than in coastal or inland waters. vs albatross →
- mockingbird 76% match — Any of various long-tailed American songbirds of the genera Mimus and Melanotis, noted for their ability to mimic calls of other birds. vs albatross →