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Webster 1913 Edition
Albatross
Al′ba-tross
,Noun.
[Corrupt. fr. Pg.
alcatraz
cormorant, albatross, or Sp. alcatraz
a pelican: cf. Pg. alcatruz
, Sp. arcaduz
, a bucket, fr. Ar. al-qādus
the bucket, fr. Gr. κάδος
, a water vessel. So an Arabic term for pelican
is water-carrier
, as a bird carrying water in its pouch.] (Zool.)
A web-footed bird, of the genus
Diomedea
, of which there are several species. They are the largest of sea birds, capable of long-continued flight, and are often seen at great distances from the land. They are found chiefly in the southern hemisphere.