phalarope

phal·a·rope  (fl-rp)

n.

Any of several small wading birds of the family Phalaropodidae, resembling sandpipers but having lobed toes that enable them to swim.

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[French, from New Latin phalarops : Greek phalaris, coot (from phalaros, having a white spot; see bhel-¹ in Indo-European roots) + Greek pous, foot; see ped- in Indo-European roots.]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

phalarope - small sandpiper-like shorebird having lobate toes and being good swimmers; breed in the Arctic and winter in the tropics limicoline bird, shore bird, shorebird - any of numerous wading birds that frequent mostly seashores and estuaries family Phalaropidae, Phalaropidae - phalaropes Phalaropus fulicarius, red phalarope - phalarope of northern oceans and lakes Lobipes lobatus, northern phalarope - breeds in Arctic regions of Old and New Worlds; large flocks often seen far out at sea Steganopus tricolor, Wilson's phalarope - breeds on the northern great plains of Canada