sanderling

noun

sand·er·ling ˈsan-dər-liŋ

: a small widely distributed sandpiper (Calidris alba) with pale gray and white plumage in winter

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Franklin County: There was a sanderling at Quabbin Gate 35 in New Salem, and two dickcissels were spotted in Deerfield. —

BostonGlobe.com, 10 Oct. 2021 In the region, a black scoter and a sanderling were in Northfield, and two dickcissels were found in Deerfield. —

BostonGlobe.com, 2 Oct. 2021 Migratory birds—specifically little seaside birds called sanderlings—did not have enough insects to eat during the breeding season. —

Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 16 Oct. 2019 Only a quarter of the average sanderling populations were accounted for, and those individuals were in bad shape. —

Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 16 Oct. 2019 Shorebirds such as sanderlings and plovers are down by about one-third, the team says. —

Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, 19 Sep. 2019 Shorebirds such as sanderlings and plovers are down by about one-third, according to the study. —

Sophie Lewis, CBS News, 19 Sep. 2019 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sanderling.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

sand + -erling, perhaps from Old English yrthling, kind of bird found in fields, literally, plowman, from yrth, earth plowing, from erian to plow — more at arable

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of sanderling was in 1602

See more words from the same year