grebe

American

[greeb] / grib /

noun

any diving bird of the family Podicipedidae, related to the loons, but having a rudimentary tail and lobate rather than webbed toes.

grebe British

/ ɡriːb /

noun

any aquatic bird, such as Podiceps cristatus ( great crested grebe ), of the order Podicipediformes, similar to the divers but with lobate rather than webbed toes and a vestigial tail

"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 grebe

First recorded in 1760–70, grebe is from the French word grèbe < ?

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.

The Coast Guard said three live birds — a cormorant, a loon and a grebe — were found sullied with oil and were being treated.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 11, 2024

The Australiasian crested grebe is moderately-sized with a lengthy and slender neck and a large black bill.

From Salon • Nov. 15, 2023

A diving waterbird called the eared grebe, for example, needs 28,000 adult brine shrimp each day to survive.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 9, 2022

Back at the harbor, another small waterbird — an eared grebe — was released alongside the ruddy duck Wednesday.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 14, 2021

At Clear Lake the western grebe is a breeding bird and also a winter visitant, attracted by the abundant fish of the lake.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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