SINCE 1828
dictionary
thesaurus
view recents

whimbrel

noun
Save Word
whim·​brel | \ ˈ(h)wim-brəl How to pronounce whimbrel (audio) \

Definition of whimbrel

: a curlew (Numenius phaeopus) chiefly of the northern coastal regions of North America and Eurasia

Examples of whimbrel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web One year after trapping the visiting whimbrel, Winn was waiting on Ahanu again. — BostonGlobe.com, "A short documentary exploring climate change on Cape Cod," 26 Sep. 2019 Last week, 10 white-rumped sandpipers, two pectoral sandpipers, two whimbrels, two glossy ibises, and four field sparrows were also spotted. — BostonGlobe.com, "Bird sightings across the region," 11 Aug. 2019 In addition to the Avocet and buff-breasted sandpiper, there were reports of three American golden-plovers, two whimbrels, a Hudsonian godwit, a marbled godwit, and two red knots. — BostonGlobe.com, "Bird sightings," 2 Sep. 2019 There were three whimbrels and a western sandpiper among many other shorebirds. — BostonGlobe.com, "Bird sightings across the region," 19 Aug. 2019 Birds at Race Point in Provincetown included 20 piping plovers, 2 whimbrels, 18 Wilson’s storm-petrels, 90 Cory’s shearwaters, and 4 Manx shearwaters. — BostonGlobe.com, "Bird sightings on Cape Cod," 30 July 2019

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

See More

First Known Use of whimbrel

circa 1531, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for whimbrel

origin unknown

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about whimbrel

Time Traveler for whimbrel

Time Traveler

The first known use of whimbrel was circa 1531

See more words from the same year

Statistics for whimbrel

Cite this Entry

“Whimbrel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whimbrel. Accessed 27 Jan. 2021.

More from Merriam-Webster on whimbrel

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about whimbrel

Comments on whimbrel

What made you want to look up whimbrel? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

itinerant

Listen to the pronunciation of itinerant

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Slippery Words Quiz—Changing with the Times

  • ducreux self portrait yawning
  • What is an earlier meaning of nice?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Typeshift

Anagram puzzles meet word search.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games