Eskimo curlew

[ es-kuh-moh kur-loo ]

noun

1. a New World curlew, Numenius borealis, that breeds in northern North America: now nearly extinct.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Eskimo curlew¹

An Americanism dating back to 1805–15

Example Sentences

The Eskimo curlew once migrated over Ohio on its way from South America to parts of Canada and Alaska.

From Washington Times

The less numerous Labrador duck and Eskimo curlew suffered the same fate.

From New York Times

Today, the picture has a further elegiac dimension: The Eskimo curlew is now extinct.

From New York Times

The sculptures—figures of polar bears, red knot birds, Eskimo curlew, and the extinct great auk—are covered with tar, lime, and glue.

From Salon

The Eskimo curlew population once numbered hundreds of thousands, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service.

From Reuters