willet

[ wil-it ]

noun

, plural wil·lets, (especially collectively) wil·let.

1. a large, eastern North American shorebird, Catoptrophorus semipalmatus, having a striking black and white wing pattern.

willet

/ ˈwɪlɪt /

noun

1. a large American shore bird, Catoptrophorus semipalmatus, having a long stout bill, long legs, and a grey plumage with black-and-white wings: family Scolopacidae (sandpipers, etc), order Charadriiformes

Word History and Origins

Origin of willet¹

1700–10, Americanism; short for pill-will-willet, conventional imitative of its cry

Word History and Origins

Origin of willet¹

short for pill-will-willet imitation of its cry

Example Sentences

They looked at four birds: the clapper rail, willet, saltmarsh sparrow and seaside sparrow.

From New York Times

Some sandpiper groups sound like fancy Victorian musical instruments or board games: whimbrels and willets, dowitchers, dunlins, shanks, and tattlers.

From The Verge

In less than two days he and the terns and willets reached Delaware Bay.

From Literature

This weekend’s special three-hour edition heads to the vast Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, where you can expect to see osprey, peregrine falcons, willets and many other species.

From New York Times

This weekend’s trip heads to the huge Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, where you can expect to see osprey, peregrine falcons, willets and many other species.

From New York Times