plover
Americannoun
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any of various shorebirds of the family Charadriidae.
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any of various similar shorebirds, as the upland plover and other sandpipers.
noun
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any shore bird of the family Charadriidae, typically having a round head, straight bill, and large pointed wings: order Charadriiformes
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any of similar and related birds, such as the Egyptian plover and the upland plover See crocodile bird
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another name for lapwing
Etymology
Origin of plover
1275–1325; Middle English < Anglo-French; Old French plovier rainbird < Vulgar Latin *pluviārius. See pluvial, -er 2
Explanation
Plovers are small birds that congregate on beaches in groups, running back and forth along the tideline. Most plovers are migratory, returning to the same places each year. You can see dozens of these little birds moving together in groups known as "congregations" searching the shoreline of oceans and lakes for tiny worms, bugs, and crustaceans. Depending on the specific species, plovers tend to migrate north to breed and then head south for the winter. The Latin root of plover means "rain," possibly referring to one species' migratory pattern, which coincides with a rainy season in Western Europe.
Vocabulary lists containing plover
The Turtle of Oman
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The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn
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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.
Unfortunately, in summer of 2023, the longstanding, much-beloved Historical Plover Passenger Ferry is undergoing renovations.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 26, 2023
In her lifetime, she had more than 30 of the squat herding dogs, with names like Plover, Disco and Mint.
From Washington Post • Sep. 9, 2022
Plover hired painters to decorate the tower with the village's name, but two of the templates were accidentally reversed before going up, resulting in "Village of Plvoer."
From Fox News • Jul. 2, 2021
He and Alice raised three daughters in Plover, the town in which he grew up.
From Washington Times • Jun. 2, 2018
Fourteen of us have been removed to the Plover schooner and, receiving favorable winds, set off up the river, flying no colors.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
