Plover
/ˈplʌv.ər/noun
A shorebird of the family Charadriidae, often seen running along beaches and mudflats.
Did you know?Plover comes through Old French from Latin pluvia, meaning “rain,” because these birds were associated with rainy weather in medieval natural lore.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pleu-
“to flow, swim, or rain”
Latin
Latin
pluvia
“rain”
Late Latin
Latin
pluviarius
“rain-bird or rain-related”
Old French
Old French
plovier
“a plover”
Middle English
English
plover
“a plover, a shorebird”
Modern English
English
plover
“a plover, especially a small to medium-sized shorebird”
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