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oystercatcher

or oys·ter catch·er

[oi-ster-kach-er]
noun
  1. 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.
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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. 2018

Examples from the Web for oystercatcher

Historical Examples

  • There is an Oystercatcher and also a few of the eggs in the Museum.

    Birds of Guernsey (1879)

    Cecil Smith

  • The Oystercatcher breeds in Guernsey itself about the cliffs.

British Dictionary definitions for oystercatcher

oystercatcher

noun
  1. 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
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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