Main Entry: plo·ver

Pronunciation: \ˈplə-vər, ˈplō-\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural plover or plovers

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French plover, pluvier, from Vulgar Latin *pluviarius, from Latin pluvia rain — more at pluvial

Date: 14th century

1 : any of a family (Charadriidae) of shorebirds that differ from the sandpipers in having a short hard-tipped bill and usually a stouter more compact build
2 : any of various birds (as a turnstone or sandpiper) related to the plovers