Dictionary.com

redshank

[ red-shangk ]
/ ˈrɛdˌʃæŋk /
Save This Word!
noun
an Old World sandpiper, Tringa totanus, having red legs and feet.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of redshank

First recorded in 1515–25; red1 + shank
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use redshank in a sentence

  • The red-shank and the green-shank whistled over them at all hours.

    The Secret Service Submarine|Cyril Arthur Edward Ranger Gull

  • I darted like a red-shank round the next corner out of sight of both policemen, and looked for a method of escape.

    My Adventures as a Spy|Robert Baden-Powell

  • Also, the gnarled roots of the red-shank make an excellent cooking fire, if you can wait a few hours to have them burn to coals.

    Hunting in Many Lands|Various

British Dictionary definitions for redshank (1 of 2)

redshank
/ (ˈrɛdˌʃæŋk) /
noun
either of two large common European sandpipers, Tringa totanus or T. erythropus (spotted redshank), having red legs

British Dictionary definitions for redshank (2 of 2)

red shank
noun
an annual polygonaceous plant, Polygonum persicaria, of N temperate regions, having red stems, narrow leaves, and oblong spikes of pink flowersAlso called: persicaria, lady's-thumb
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
FEEDBACK