Albatross : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: Albatross	by the DICT Development Group
2 results for Albatross
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
albatross n (figurative) something that hinders or handicaps; "she was an albatross around his neck" Synonym(s): albatross, millstone large web-footed birds of the southern hemisphere having long narrow wings; noted for powerful gliding flight Synonym(s): albatross, mollymawk
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Albatross \Al"ba*tross\, n. [Corrupt. fr. Pg. alcatraz cormorant, albatross, or Sp. alcatraz a pelican: cf. Pg. alcatruz, Sp. arcaduz, a bucket, fr. Ar. al-q[be]dus the bucket, fr. Gr. ka`dos, a water vessel. So an Arabic term for pelican is water-carrier, as a bird carrying water in its pouch.] (Zo[94]l.) A web-footed bird, of the genus {Diomedea}, of which there are several species. They are the largest of sea birds, capable of long-continued flight, and are often seen at great distances from the land. They are found chiefly in the southern hemisphere.