curlew

[ kur-loo ]
/ ˈkɜr lu /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR curlew ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any of several shorebirds of the genus Numenius, having a long, slender, downcurved bill, as the common N. arquata, of Europe.
any of various similar birds.

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Origin of curlew

1300–50; Middle English < Anglo-French curleu, cognate with Middle French corleu; perhaps imitative

Words nearby curlew

curl, curl one's hair, curl up, curled paperwork, curler, curlew, curlew sandpiper, curley, curli, curlicue, curling
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to curlew

grouse, quail, partridge, pheasant, plover, sandpiper, snipe, wildfowl, woodcock

Example sentences from the Web for curlew

British Dictionary definitions for curlew

curlew
/ (ˈkɜːljuː) /

noun

any large shore bird of the genus Numenius, such as N. arquata of Europe and Asia: family Scolopacidae (sandpipers, etc), order Charadriiformes. They have a long downward-curving bill and occur in northern and arctic regionsCompare stone curlew

Word Origin for curlew

C14: from Old French corlieu, perhaps of imitative origin
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