catflap.org Online Dictionary Query

  Plover \Plov"er\, n. [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.]
     1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of limicoline birds
        belonging to the family Charadrid[ae], and especially
        those belonging to the subfamily Charadrins[ae]. They
        are prized as game birds.
  
     2. (Zo["o]l.) 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.
  
     Note: 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+({[AE]gialitis+hiaticula" rel="nofollow">ring or ringed plover ({[AE]gialitis hiaticula). See
           Ringneck. The piping plover ({[AE]gialitis
           meloda); Wilson's plover ({[AE]. Wilsonia}); the
           mountain+plover+({[AE].+montana" rel="nofollow">mountain plover ({[AE]. montana); and the
           semipalmated+plover+({[AE].+semipalmata" rel="nofollow">semipalmated plover ({[AE]. semipalmata), are all
           small American species.
  
     Bastard plover (Zo["o]l.), the lapwing.
  
     Long-legged, or yellow-legged, plover. See Tattler.
        
  
     Plover's page, the dunlin. [Prov. Eng.]
  
     Rock plover, or Stone plover, the black-bellied plover.
        [Prov. Eng.]
  
     Whistling plover.
        (a) The golden plover.
        (b) The black-bellied plover.