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shearwater

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shear⋅wa⋅ter

[sheer-waw-ter, -wot-er]
–noun
any of several long-winged petrels of the genus Puffinus that appear to shear the water with their wing tips when flying low.

Origin:
1665–75; shear + water
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To shearwater
shear·wa·ter   (shîr'wô'tər, -wŏt'ər)   
n.  Any of various oceanic birds of the genus Puffinus, having a short hooked bill with tube-shaped nostrils and long slender wings that appear to shear the water as the bird flies along the surface.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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