thunderbird

plural thunderbirds

1. human sciencesA mythological bird, often associated with stormy weather, especially in various indigenous North American mythologies.

   A man there was, grim his expression, just like a Thunderbird his features were frightening.

   1999, Andrew George, transl., Gilgamesh, section VII

   2 more examples

   The Thunderbird, one of the most powerful symbols of Indigenous American mythology, borrows heavily from eagle features.

   2021, Peter Cavanagh, “1. Eagles”, in 100 Flying Birds: Photographing the Mechanics of Flight, →ISBN, page 15

   Candace Thomas, a Tsleil-Waututh artist, provided the design for the crosswalk which now spans the intersection of Dollarton Highway and Sleil-Waututh Road. It depicts a thunderbird embracing both residential school survivors and missing and murdered Indigenous women, according to the news release.

   2025 September 25, Edzi'u Loverin, “Every Child Matters crosswalk at Tsleil-Waututh Nation one of several to be unveiled in Metro Vancouver”, in CBC News

2. The golden whistler, an Australian insectivorous songbird (Pachycephala pectoralis, formerly Pachycephala gutturalis), whose male is conspicuously marked with black and yellow, and has a black crescent on the breast.

plural Thunderbirds

1. Alternative letter-case form of thunderbird.
2. UKrail transportA locomotive stored at a strategic point on the network so as to be available to quickly rescue a failed train.

1. computingMozilla Thunderbird.
2. USautomotiveFord Thunderbird.