plover

noun

plo·​ver ˈplə-vər  ˈplō- 

plural plover or plovers

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 (such as a turnstone or sandpiper) related to the plovers

Examples of plover in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Shorebirds like sandpipers and plovers use this sense to detect prey beneath the sand by sensing subtle mechanical vibrations. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025

The human theater will play out on the sand, the smell of sunscreen will fill the air, and the piping plovers and other beach birds will crowd into the little spaces left for them. —Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025

At Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge, trails wind through salt marshes, shrublands, and forests teeming with migrating birds—from sandpipers and plovers to herons and owls—as well as the occasional New England cottontail rabbit. —Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2025

Birders will be in their element here, as Liuwa is home to some 300 species, from grey herons and storks to blacksmith plovers. —Mazuba Kapambwe, AFAR Media, 10 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing plover

• golden plover
• piping plover
• snowy plover

Rhymes for plover

• cover
• hover
• discover
• hardcover
• recover
• thereover
• uncover
• rediscover
• undercover

Kids Definition

plover

noun

plo·​ver ˈplə-vər  ˈplō-vər 

plural plover or plovers

: any of numerous shorebirds differing from the related sandpipers in having shorter bills