Etymologically
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albatross

Etymology and origin of the English word albatross

History

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈæl.bəˌtɹɒs/ (UK); /ˈæl.bəˌtɹɔs/ (US)[1]

Etymology

Probably an alteration of alcatras, from Portuguese alcatraz (“pelican”) or Spanish alcatraz,[2][3][4][5] perhaps from Arabic الغَطَّاس (al-ḡaṭṭās, “a kind of sea eagle”), literally “the diver”.[2][4][5] The OED, as cited by Etymonline, prefers Portuguese alcatruz “bucket of a water wheel”, referring to the pelican’s pouch.[3] The spelling was influenced by Latin albus (“white”).[2][3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OED records it for the frigate bird (now obsolete) as well as the large seabird of the Southern Ocean.[6][3]

Semantic evolution

The figurative sense of a burden or source of guilt comes from Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1798), in which a sailor who shoots an albatross must wear its corpse round his neck,[2][3][6] and is attested by 1936.[3][6] In golf it means a score of three under par on a hole.[6][1]

Timeline

  • 1670s – first recorded;[3] Merriam-Webster dates it 1672.[4]
  • 1681 – OED’s first quotation for the seabird.[6]
  • 1732 – the frigate bird (obsolete).[6]
  • 1936 – a burden.[3][6]
  • 1937 – golf score.[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. Any of several large seabirds with long narrow wings and hooked beaks, mainly of the southern oceans.
  2. A persistent burden, worry or source of guilt.
  3. An obstacle to success.
  4. (golf) A score of three under par on a hole.

Word family

  • wandering albatross

References

  1. [1] [2] Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. [1] [2] [3] [4] The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. [1] [2] [3] Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. [1] [2] [3] Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  6. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“albatross.” Etymologically, 6 October 2026, https://etymologically.com/en/albatross. Accessed 6 October 2026.

Last edited on .