What does "whimbrel" mean?

A large migratory wading bird, Numenius phaeopus, of the family Scolopacidae, with a long downcurved bill.

Whimbrel

//ˈʍɪmbɹɜl// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1
A large migratory wading bird, Numenius phaeopus, of the family Scolopacidae, with a long downcurved bill.
"Aquatic birds of various kinds are very numerous, such as geese, darters (Flotus melanogaster), scissor-bills (Rhynchops nigra), adjutants (Leptoptilos argala), pelicans, cormorants, cranes (Grus antigone, in Burmese gyoja), whimbrels, plovers, and ibises."

Example

More examples

"Aquatic birds of various kinds are very numerous, such as geese, darters (Flotus melanogaster), scissor-bills (Rhynchops nigra), adjutants (Leptoptilos argala), pelicans, cormorants, cranes (Grus antigone, in Burmese gyoja), whimbrels, plovers, and ibises."

Etymology

Uncertain. Perhaps from whimper + -el, alluding to the sound of its cry.

More for "whimbrel"

Synonyms Sentences Pronunciation Translate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonyms See usage examples Check pronunciation Browse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.