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Dotterel

//ˈdɒtɹəl// adj, noun

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    decayed

    "some old dotterel trees"

Noun
  1. 1
    A gullible fool, especially an elderly person with impaired faculties.

    "This poor dotterel, Sir Arthur, is playing fast and loose with me."

  2. 2
    rare plover of upland areas of Eurasia wordnet
  3. 3
    A small brown-and-black bird of species Charadrius morinellus, of the plover family.
  4. 4
    Any of various small birds of Australasia thought to resemble the Eurasian dotterel. Australia, New-Zealand

Etymology

Etymology 1

15th century. From dote (“to be foolish; senile”) + -rel (“pejorative suffix”). The bird is so named as it is easy to catch.

Etymology 2

15th century. From dote (“to be foolish; senile”) + -rel (“pejorative suffix”). The bird is so named as it is easy to catch.

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