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DictionarylapwingCrested bird
noun

lapwing

LAP-wing/ˈlæpwɪŋ/

A crested plover with broad wings and wavering flight.

A lapwing spreads its broad wings and rises above the field.

A northern lapwing banks low above a sparse muddy shoreline, displaying its slender crest, black-and-white plumage and broad, rounded wings in an asymmetric banking pose.
Etymology
lapwingOld Englishlapwing

Old English hleapewince probably meant “leaper-winker,” combining leaping with wavering or rapid movement. The name is said to describe the bird’s irregular, flapping flight.

In context

The Scottish Parliament29:47
we have lost 50 per cent of our kestrel, lapwing and greenfinch populations in Scotland
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee - 15 March 2023

More examples

  • Two lapwings feed in the damp grass.
  • The lapwing's long crest stands out against the sky.
  • We watch a lapwing twist and turn in flight.

Forms

lapwing · lapwings

Similar words

plover
Names a broader group of birds, including lapwings.