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Definition of wandering albatross
wandering albatross
Plural:wandering albatrosses
wandering albatross Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
8
Tier
2
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A large seabird of the family Diomedeidae native to the Southern Ocean, renowned for possessing the longest wingspan of any living bird species, which enables it to glide effortlessly over the sea for vast distances.
Example
"During the expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula, the researchers marveled as a wandering albatross effortlessly tracked the wake of their ship."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The specific epithet 'wandering' refers to the bird's extraordinary oceanic flights covering thousands of miles. 'Albatross' derives from the Portuguese 'alcatraz' (large seabird), which ultimately traces back to the Arabic 'al-ġaṭṭās' (the diver).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Wandering albatross. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/wandering albatross