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Glite Dictionary
tropicbird

tropicbird

8.7
A mostly white sea bird with webbed feet and long tail feathers that lives far from land
  • noun
  • /ˈtrɒpɪkˌbɜrd/
translation icon : pájaro tropical
  • While sailing, we spotted a tropicbird effortlessly gliding far from the coastline.

Examples

  • Known for its striking appearance, the tropicbird is a stunning sight against the blue sky.

  • The red-tailed tropicbird gracefully soared above the ocean, its long tail streamers trailing behind.

  • Red-tailed Tropicbirds perform their unique "backpedaling" nuptial flight overhead.

    Academic text (1999)

Synonyms

tropic bird
vstropicbird
8.2

A mostly white sea bird with webbed feet and long tail feathers that lives in warm seas far from land

is the single word spelling for the same seabird
boatswain bird
vstropicbird
9.9

A mostly white tropical bird with webbed feet and long tail feathers that lives at sea

is the single-word formal name for that species

Surface Forms

tropicbird singular
tropicbirds plural

Morphology

tropicbird = tropic + bird (transparent) = tropic + bird

The word is a straightforward compound: a bird associated with the tropics, so learners who know 'tropic'/'tropical' and 'bird' can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Tropicbird comes from tropic ('the tropics', the warm area near the equator) and bird ('a flying animal'), so it names a seabird that lives in warm tropical oceans and often has long tail streamers.