Killdeer meaning

kĭldîr
killdeers
See word origin
Frequency:
A New World plover (Charadrius vociferus) that has a distinctive noisy cry and two black bands across its breast.
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A medium-sized North American plover (Charadrius vociferus) with a high, piercing cry, that nests in open fields, on beaches, etc.
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A North American plover (Charadrius vociferus) with a distinctive cry and territorial behavior that includes feigning injury to distract interlopers from the nest.
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Alternative Forms

Alternative Form of killdeer - kill-deer, killdee

Origin of killdeer

  • Probably imitative of its call

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Imitative of the bird's call.

    From Wiktionary