noun
albatross
AL-buh-tros
noun
1
A large seabird with long narrow wings and a hooked beak, found mainly over the Southern Ocean and North Pacific, famous for gliding vast distances without flapping.
"The albatross soared for hours behind the ship without a single wingbeat."
2
A heavy burden, problem, or source of guilt that someone cannot get rid of.
"The failed project became an albatross around his career for years."
How to Use Albatross
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the big oceanic bird, or (more common in everyday speech) a constant burden you can't shake off.
Common pairings
an albatross around one's neck
a lone albatross
Word Forms
albatross plural, albatrosses plural
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The _____ soared for hours behind the ship without a single wingbeat.
Etymology
Probably from Spanish or Portuguese alcatraz ("pelican" or "gannet"), altered under the influence of Latin albus ("white"). The "burden" meaning comes from Coleridge's poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," in which a sailor is forced to wear a dead albatross around his neck as punishment.