upland plover
- noun
- /ˈʌplənd ˈploʊvər/
- US
- The upland plover is known for its distinctive whistling call during the mating season.
Examples
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Every spring, the upland plover returns to the grasslands of the Midwest.
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We spotted an upland plover on our hike through the open fields.
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The upland plover is known for its distinctive call.
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Many upland plovers migrate south for the winter.
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Every spring, the upland plover returns to the grasslands of the Midwest.
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The upland plover is known for its distinctive whistling call during the mating season.
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We spotted an upland plover on our hike through the open fields.
Synonyms
A large bird with a long neck and yellow legs that lives in open fields and grasslands
A large bird like a plover that lives in North American fields and meadows
A large bird like a plover that lives in North American grasslands
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is transparently compositional: 'upland' (higher land) + 'plover' (a type of wading bird) straightforwardly denotes a plover associated with upland areas. This noun‑noun formation follows predictable semantic combination and is likely inferable by a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Upland plover is named for where the bird lives. Upland means 'higher open land' or 'fields' and plover is a small bird, so the name tells us it is a plover that lives in open fields away from the coast.