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lapwing

[ lap-wing ]
/ ˈlæpˌwɪŋ /
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noun
a large Old World plover, Vanellus vanellus, having a long, slender, upcurved crest, an erratic, flapping flight, and a shrill cry.
any of several similar, related plovers.
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Origin of lapwing

before 1050; Middle English, variant (by association with wing) of lapwinke,Old English hlēapwince plover. See leap, wink1

Words nearby lapwing

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

How to use lapwing in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lapwing

lapwing
/ (ˈlæpˌwɪŋ) /

noun
any of several plovers of the genus Vanellus, esp V. vanellus, typically having a crested head, wattles, and spursAlso called: green plover, pewit, peewit

Word Origin for lapwing

C17: altered form of Old English hlēapewince plover, from hlēapan to leap + wincian to jerk, wink 1
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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