| Front | stormy petrel \STOR-mee-PET-ruhl\ |
|---|---|
| Back | noun 1. Any of various small sea birds having dark plumage with paler underparts. 2. One who brings discord or strife, or appears at the onset of trouble. [Stormy petrel is an alteration of earlier pitteral, probably so named in allusion to St. Peter's walking on the sea, from the fact that the bird flies close to the water in order to feed on surface-swimming organisms and ship's refuse; called stormy because in a storm the birds surround a ship to catch small organisms which rise to the surface of the rough seas; when the storm ceases they are no longer seen.] "A colourful stormy petrel of the Conservative Party, Anthony Beaumont-Dark frequently found himself at odds with the party line in the Commons, and was well known for expressing his dissent in memorably quotable form." - Obituary: Sir Anthony Beaumont-Dark; The Times (London, UK); Apr 4, 2006. |
Learn with these flashcards. Click next, previous, or up to navigate to more flashcards for this subject.
Next card: Vow votary voh-tuh-ree noun devoted addicted pursuit subject
Previous card: Trencherman tren-chuhr-muhn noun hearty eater trencher wooden board
Up to card list: Hard English Vocabulary