pewit

or pee·wit

[ pee-wit, pyoo-it ]

noun

1. the lapwing, Vanellus vanellus.
2. the phoebe.

pewit

/ ˈpiːwɪt /

noun

1. another name for lapwing

Word History and Origins

Origin of pewit¹

First recorded in 1520–30; imitative

Word History and Origins

Origin of pewit¹

C13: imitative of the bird's cry

Example Sentences

I distinctly remembered firing it at a pewit an hour before, for Edmee had wanted to examine the bird's plumage.

From Project Gutenberg

On the 7th, we saw a curlieu and a pewit, and on the 9th we caught a land-bird, very much resembling a starling.

From Project Gutenberg

One of the first birds I saw, and one of the most puzzling, was the lapwing or pewit.

From Project Gutenberg

In his best days, as he records in one of his letters, it was said of him that he “tripped like a pewit.”

From Project Gutenberg

Now and then I caught the cry of a pewit, or saw a snipe glance up from his bed; but mainly I was busied about the mare.

From Project Gutenberg