Meanings
plural albatrosses · alternative albie
- 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.
- Any of various African and Asian pierid butterflies of the genus Appias. Some species of this genus are also known as puffins.
- golfA double eagle, or three under par on any one hole, except a par 3 hole.
- figurativelyA 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.
1 more example
Project 2025 could be an albatross for Trump
2024 August 9, Tia Yang, Nathaniel Rakich, Mary Radcliffe, Cooper Burton, “Americans don't like Project 2025”, in ABC News, archived from the original on 10 Aug 2024Synonyms: albatross around one's neck
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA long-term impediment, burden, or curse.
More synonyms by meaning
noun(figurative) something that hinders or handicaps
nounlarge web-footed birds of the Southern Hemisphere having long narrow wings; noted for powerful gliding flight
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinalbus“white”
- Ancient Greekκάδος“pail, jar”
- Arabicالْقَادُوس
- Portuguesealcatruz“water wheel bucket”
- Arabicالْغَطَّاس“the diver”
- Portuguesealcatraz“pelican, gannet, albatross”
- Englishalbatross
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.
More words from Portuguese, Arabic, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic قَطْرَس
- قَطْرَس (qaṭras)seabird
Bulgarian албатрос, затруднение
- албатрос (albatros)seabird
- затруднение (zatrudnenie)long-term impediment
Catalan albatros, albatros
- albatrosseabird
- albatrosthree under par
Chinese Mandarin 信天翁
- 信天翁 (xìntiānwēng)seabird
Czech albatros
- albatrosseabird
Danish albatros, albatros
- albatrosseabird
- albatrosthree under par
Dutch albatros, albatros
- albatrosseabird
- albatrosthree under par
Esperanto albatroso
- albatrososeabird
Estonian albatross
- albatrossseabird
Finnish albatrossi, albatrossi
- albatrossiseabird
- albatrossithree under par
- heikkouslong-term impediment
- rasitelong-term impediment
French albatros
- albatrosseabird
German Albatros, Albatros
- Albatrosseabird
- Albatrosthree under par
Greek άλμπατρος, άλμπατρος
- άλμπατρος (álmpatros)seabird
- άλμπατρος (álmpatros)three under par
Hindi महासामुद्र
- महासामुद्र (mahāsāmudra)seabird
Hungarian albatrosz
- albatroszseabird
Icelandic súlukóngur, stormfugl
- súlukóngurseabird
- stormfuglseabird
Indonesian albatros
- albatrosseabird
Irish albatras, bró mhuilinn
- albatrasseabird
- bró mhuilinnlong-term impediment
Italian albatro, albatros
- albatroseabird
- albatrosseabird
Japanese 信天翁, アホウドリ
- 信天翁 (ahōdori)seabird
- アホウドリ (ahōdori)seabird
- 沖の太夫 (oki no tayū)seabird
- アルバトロス (arubatorosu)three under par
Korean 신천옹, 알바트로스
- 신천옹 (sincheonong)seabird
- 알바트로스 (albateuroseu)seabird
Latin diomedea
- diomedeaseabird
Malay albatros
- albatrosseabird
Māori toroa
- toroaseabird
Norwegian Bokmål albatross
- albatrossseabird
Norwegian Nynorsk albatross
- albatrossseabird
Polish albatros, albatros
- albatrosseabird
- albatrosthree under par
- kamień u szyilong-term impediment
- kula u nogilong-term impediment
Portuguese albatroz
- albatrozseabird
Romanian albatros
- albatrosseabird
Russian альбатро́с
- альбатро́с (alʹbatrós)seabird
Spanish albatros
- albatrosseabird
Swedish albatross, albatross
- albatrossseabird
- albatrossthree under par
Tagalog albatros
- albatrosseabird
Turkish albatros
- albatrosseabird
Ukrainian альбатро́с
- альбатро́с (alʹbatrós)seabird
Vietnamese hải âu mày đen
- hải âu mày đenseabird
Welsh albatros, gwas y weilgi
- albatrosseabird
- gwas y weilgiseabird
Cite this entry
albatross. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/albatross
“albatross.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/albatross. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “albatross,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/albatross.
Source: albatross on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.