oceanic bird
- noun
- /oʊˈsiːənɪk bɜrd/
:
ave pelágica
- The research team conducted a study on oceanic birds that spend most of their lives in the open sea.
Examples
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In the summer of 1961, shearwaters, oceanic birds that feed on anchovies, flew not over the ocean but inland toward the city of Capitola, California, dying by the dozens as they crashed into buildings and cars.
Academic text (2003) -
Many species of oceanic birds are adapted to life far from land, using their wings to glide effortlessly over water.
-
In the summer, large groups of oceanic birds like shearwaters are often seen soaring above the waves.
Synonyms
10
1.9
A bird that lives near the sea and often flies over water, like gulls or albatrosses
9
6.9
A very large sea bird with long narrow wings that glides over the ocean
1
9.5
A sea bird with long wings that flies low over waves
1
2.0
A bird that lives near the sea, like a gull
A bird that lives and travels far out at sea
A mostly white sea bird with webbed feet and long tail feathers that lives far from land
A mostly white sea bird with webbed feet and long tail feathers that lives in warm seas far from land
A mostly white tropical bird with webbed feet and long tail feathers that lives at sea
A bird that lives near the sea, like gulls or pelicans
How Far
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a bird that lives primarily on the open ocean' is directly and transparently compositionally derived from 'oceanic' (pertaining to the open ocean) + 'bird' (a flying animal). This adjective+noun pattern is regular and cross-linguistically common, so a learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The phrase oceanic bird paints a clear image: oceanic means 'from the ocean', so it is a bird that lives far from land, like an albatross that spends months at sea. That's why it means 'a bird that lives mainly on the open ocean'.