avocet
1
9.9
A long-legged wading bird with black-and-white feathers and a thin upturned bill that lives in shallow water
- noun
- /ˈævəˌsɛt/
:
avoceta
- An American avocet was seen wading gracefully in the shallow waters of the lake.
- American avocet
- avocets, stilts
Examples
-
Other shorebirds, notably ruffs, jacanas, avocets, and thick-knees, display mostly on the ground and without acrobatic maneuvers.
Academic text (2006) -
The long-legged avocet uses its slender bill to sift through mud for food.
-
Watching a flock of avocets take flight at sunset was a breathtaking sight.
Synonyms
long-legs
vsavocet
1
9.5
A long-legged black and white bird that wades in shallow ponds and marshes
is a shore bird found in shallow waters with a slender upward curving bill
9.9
A bird with long legs and a long upturned bill that stands in shallow water
is the everyday bird term focusing on black and white plumage and curved bill
Surface Forms
Etymology
Avocet came into English from the French word avocette, the name for this long-legged wading bird. A helpful way to remember it is to picture the bird's thin, upturned bill sweeping shallow water for food, and that's why avocet now means the black-and-white wader you see in coastal lagoons.