Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Plover \Plov"er\, n. [OF. plovier, F. pluvier, prop., the rain
bird, fr. LL. (assumed) pluviarius, fr. L. pluvia rain, from
pluere to rain; akin to E. float, G. fliessen to flow. See
{Float}.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of limicoline birds
belonging to the family {Charadrid[ae]}, and especially
those belonging to the subfamily {Charadrins[ae]}. They
are prized as game birds.
2. (Zo["o]l.) Any grallatorial bird allied to, or resembling,
the true plovers, as the crab plover ({Dromas ardeola});
the American upland, plover ({Bartramia longicauda}); and
other species of sandpipers.
Note: Among the more important species are the {blackbellied,
or blackbreasted, plover} ({Charadrius squatarola}) of
America and Europe; -- called also {gray plover},
{bull-head plover}, {Swiss plover}, {sea plover}, and
{oxeye}; the {golden plover} (see under {Golden}); the
{ring or ringed plover} ({[AE]gialitis hiaticula}). See
{Ringneck}. The {piping plover} ({[AE]gialitis
meloda}); {Wilson's plover} ({[AE]. Wilsonia}); the
{mountain plover} ({[AE]. montana}); and the
{semipalmated plover} ({[AE]. semipalmata}), are all
small American species.
{Bastard plover} (Zo["o]l.), the lapwing.
{Long-legged}, or {yellow-legged}, {plover}. See {Tattler}.
{Plover's page}, the dunlin. [Prov. Eng.]
{Rock plover}, or {Stone plover}, the black-bellied plover.
[Prov. Eng.]
{Whistling plover}.
(a) The golden plover.
(b) The black-bellied plover.