The petrel was dancing on one leg, and laughed at me, when I opened my eyes again.
I intend to charter the petrel, which has just discharged the cargo she brought here.
Sandy was at the tiller of the Swan and Martin held the wheel of the petrel.
Her decks spouting flame, the petrel raced on to meet the enemy.
Like all its kindred, the Stormy 255 petrel is a close sitter, remaining in its hole until dragged out.
The fusillade from the petrel was evidently interfering with the enemy's marksmanship.
He is the lad I told you of who aided in saving all our lives on board the petrel.
But he did not volunteer to be one of those to man the petrel on her maiden voyage.
By gad, thou art the herald of storm on land as the petrel is at sea.
This designation of the petrel as a "raft" was my first legal quibble.
seabird, 1670s, pitteral, modern spelling first recorded 1703 by English explorer William Dampier (1651-1715), who wrote the bird was so called from its way of flying with its feet just skimming the surface of the water, which recalls the apostle's walk on the sea of Galilee (Matt. xiv:28); if so, it likely was formed in English as a diminutive of Peter (Late Latin Petrus). If this is folk etymology, the true source of the name is undiscovered. French pétrel (1760) probably is from English.