dotterel

[ dot-er-uhl ]

noun

any of several plovers usually inhabiting upland areas, especially Eudromias morinellus, of Europe and Asia.
British Dialect. a silly, stupid person, especially one who is easily duped.

Origin of dotterel

First recorded in 1400–50, dotterel is from the late Middle English word dotrelle.See dote, -rel

Also dot·trel [do-truhl]. /ˈdɒ trəl/.

Words Nearby dotterel

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dotterel in a sentence

Last night we had dotterel and sandpipers for dinner, this morning greenshanks, which are very good birds indeed.
Three in Norway | James Arthur Lees
One remarkable instance of this may be given, that of the dotterel, a bird already mentioned.
Poachers and Poaching | John Watson
The thin pipe of the dotterel fell into the darkness beyond the shallows where the sea-mist lay.
Pharais and The Mountain Lovers | Fiona Macleod
The resemblance of the dotterel's egg to a pebble is no greater than the resemblance between many eggs laid in nests and pebbles.
Field and Hedgerow | Richard Jefferies
The summer home of the dotterel is shared, in some instances at least, with that still more mountain bird, the Ptarmigan.
Among the Birds in Northern Shires | Charles Dixon

British Dictionary definitions for dotterel

dotterel

dottrel

/ (ˈdɒtrəl) /

noun

a rare Eurasian plover, Eudromias morinellus, with reddish-brown underparts and white bands around the head and neck
Australian any similar and related bird, esp of the genus Charadrius

dialect a person who is foolish or easily duped

Origin of dotterel

C15 dotrelle; see dote

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

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