FreeScrabbleDictionary

albatross

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
11
Words With Friends
13
Letters
9
Pronunciation
/ˈæl.bəˌtɹɒs/
See all 3 pronunciations
/ˈæl.bəˌtɹɒs/ · /ˈæl.bəˌtɹɔs/ · /ˈæl.bəˌtɹɑs/

Definition of albatross

4 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included

noun

  1. 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.
See all 4 definitions

noun

  1. 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.
  2. Any of various African and Asian pierid butterflies of the genus Appias. Some species of this genus are also known as puffins.
  3. A double eagle, or three under par on any one hole, except a par 3 hole.
  4. (figuratively)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.”
    “Project 2025 could be an albatross for Trump”

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

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…

See full 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.

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8-letter words

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7-letter words

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5-letter words

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4-letter words

71 words

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