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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.

See Examples For:

grebe

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

Officials from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s office of oil spill prevention and response said Friday that, so far, one oiled bird, a grebe, had been recovered.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 9, 2024

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

From Salon ● Nov. 15, 2023

Mr Oliver sparked a global frenzy with an "alarmingly aggressive" campaign for the vulnerable crested grebe.

From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2023

As he spoke he bobbed and dipped like a dabchick or little grebe.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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