plovers

Variant of plover

noun pl. plovers or plover

  1. any of a worldwide family (Charadriidae) of shorebirds, having a short tail, long, pointed wings, a short, stout beak, and, usually, brown or gray feathers
  2. any of various similar birds

Origin: ME < OFr plovier, lit., rain bird < VL *pluviarius < L pluvia, rain (see pluvial): said to be so named because it was believed to cry before a rain

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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