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plover

1. (Science: ornithology) Any one of numerous species of limicoline birds belonging to the family Charadridae, and especially those belonging to the subfamily Charadrinsae. They are prized as game birds.

2. (Science: zoology) Any grallatorial bird allied to, or resembling, the true plovers, as the crab plover (Dromas ardeola); the American upland, plover (Bartramia longicauda); and other species of sandpipers.

Among the more important species are the blackbellied, or blackbreasted, plover (Charadrius squatarola) of America and Europe; called also gray plover, bull-head plover, Swiss plover, sea plover, and oxeye; the golden plover (see under Golden); the ring or ringed plover (aegialitis hiaticula). See ringneck. The piping plover (aegialitis meloda); Wilson's plover (ae. Wilsonia); the mountain plover (ae. Montana); and the semipalmated plover (ae. Semipalmata), are all small American species.

(Science: zoology) bastard plover, the lapwing. Long-legged, or yellow-legged, plover. See tattler. Plover's page, the dunlin. Rock plover, or stone plover, the black-bellied plover. Whistling plover. The golden plover. The black-bellied plover.

Origin: OF. Plovier, F. Pluvier, prop, the rain bird, fr. LL. (assumed) pluviarius, fr. L. Pluvia rain, from pluere to rain; akin to E. Float, G. Fliessen to flow. See Float.