dunlin

noun

dun·​lin ˈdən-lən How to pronounce dunlin (audio)
plural dunlins or dunlin
: a small widely distributed sandpiper (Calidris alpina) that in breeding plumage is largely cinnamon to rusty brown above and white below with a large black patch on the belly

Examples of dunlin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But by the time an hour had gone by, Barlow had captured this photograph of a dunlin taking flight with little time to spare before the wave hit the shore. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 June 2023 Single sandhill cranes in Northampton and Hadley, an upland sandpiper and a dunlin in Northampton, and an American bittern in the marsh on Flat Iron Road in Cummington. Isabela Rocha, BostonGlobe.com, 6 May 2023 At Plum Island, a merlin was noted along with an early dunlin and black guillemots; single black guillemots were also seen at Andrews Point in Rockport and in Gloucester Harbor. BostonGlobe.com, 31 July 2021 Sightings in Nauset Marsh in Eastham included a royal tern, a Caspian tern, a black skimmer, a dunlin, and 3 American oystercatchers. BostonGlobe.com, 24 June 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dunlin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

dun entry 1 + -lin (alteration of -ling)

First Known Use

circa 1532, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dunlin was circa 1532

Dictionary Entries Near dunlin

Cite this Entry

“Dunlin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dunlin. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on dunlin

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!