bald eagle

American

noun

a large, fish-eating eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, of the U.S. and Canada, having dark golden-brown back and wings, and white plumage on the head and tail in the adult: some recently endangered populations are now recovering.

bald eagle British

noun

a large eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus , of North America, having a white head and tail, a yellow bill, and dark wings and body. It is the US national bird

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bald eagle

An Americanism dating back to 1680–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Occasionally, she’d draw and share illustrations, such as of a crosswalk sign and a bald eagle she had spotted.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ravens recently ate the internet-famous bald eagle couple’s two eggs, a sad twist to the nesting season.

From Los Angeles Times

It was also attended by an eager trio of young men wearing rubber bald eagle masks.

From The Wall Street Journal

A baby bird who grows into a majestic bald eagle and a Clydesdale are friends.

From Los Angeles Times

Some of the deer meat will go to feed endangered California condors on the mainland, while some carcasses will be left on the land — potential meals for bald eagles and foxes.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023