helldiver

[hel-dahy-ver]

noun

1. a grebe, especially the pied-billed grebe.

helldiver

/ ˈhɛlˌdaɪvə /

noun

1. Also called: pied-billed grebe.  dabchick. informal,  a small greyish-brown North American grebe, Podilymbus podiceps, with a small bill

Word History and Origins

Origin of helldiver¹

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40; hell + diver

Example Sentences

Perhaps the most striking is the pied kingfisher, commonly called a helldiver, with its black and white plumage, shaggy topknot and slender beak.

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Overhead, 1,200 Hellcat and Corsair fighters, Avenger torpedo planes and Helldiver bombers circled in 12-mile ovals.

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One of the planes, a Curtiss Helldiver dive bomber, developed mechanical trouble and made an emergency landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, a spokeswoman for the Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority said.

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Oh well, that’s life and death as a Helldiver; however, it took very little time to learn and adapt from my and my son’s mistakes.

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Now, simply going it solo with my Helldiver, also an option, often leads to a sweaty palmed load of frustration.

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