oystercatcher

or oys·ter catch·er

[ oi-ster-kach-er ]

/ ˈɔɪ stərˌkætʃ ər /

noun

any of several long-billed wading birds of the genus Haematopus that have chiefly black-and-white plumage and that feed on oysters, clams, mussels, etc.

Nearby words

oyster mushroom, oyster pink, oyster plant, oyster toadfish, oyster white, oystercatcher, oystered, oysterfish, oystering, oysterman, oysters rockefeller

Origin of oystercatcher

An Americanism dating back to 1725–35; oyster + catcher

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for oystercatcher

The Oystercatcher breeds in Guernsey itself about the cliffs.
Birds of Guernsey (1879)|Cecil Smith
There is an Oystercatcher and also a few of the eggs in the Museum.
Birds of Guernsey (1879)|Cecil Smith

British Dictionary definitions for oystercatcher

oystercatcher

/ (ˈɔɪstəˌkætʃə) /

noun

any shore bird of the genus Haematopus and family Haematopodidae, having a black or black-and-white plumage and a long stout laterally compressed red bill

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