lapwing
Americannoun
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a large Old World plover, Vanellus vanellus, having a long, slender, upcurved crest, an erratic, flapping flight, and a shrill cry.
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any of several similar, related plovers.
noun
Etymology
Origin of lapwing
before 1050; Middle English, variant (by association with wing ) of lapwinke, Old English hlēapwince plover. See leap, wink 1
Vocabulary lists containing lapwing
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.
A major part of the scheme has been to "re-naturalise" the River Sherford, creating a wetland which now hosts lapwing, golden plover and common snipe.
From BBC • Sep. 19, 2023
The grey-headed lapwing, which normally spends winters in India before moving to breeding grounds in China and Japan, was first spotted in Low Newton-by-the-Sea, Northumberland, on Monday.
From BBC • May 2, 2023
Amongst the first class are capercailzie, … wild duck, and bittern; and amongst the shy ones with camouflaged eggs are lapwing, … ring plover, and golden plover.
From Nature • Aug. 5, 2019
In Finland, for example, the Northern lapwing and Eurasian curlew have usually built their ground nests on barley fields after farmers have sown their crops in the spring.
From New York Times • Apr. 4, 2018
This bird was as proverbially used for a proud, vain fool as the lapwing for a silly one.
From Folk-lore of Shakespeare by Thiselton-Dyer, Thomas Firminger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
