grebe

American

[greeb] / grib /

noun

any diving bird of the family Podicipedidae, related to the loons, but having a rudimentary tail and lobate rather than webbed toes.

grebe British

/ ɡriːb /

noun

any aquatic bird, such as Podiceps cristatus ( great crested grebe ), of the order Podicipediformes, similar to the divers but with lobate rather than webbed toes and a vestigial tail

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of grebe

First recorded in 1760–70, grebe is from the French word grèbe < ?

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Officials are caring for a common loon and a western grebe that were recovered with oil on their bodies.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2024

In the 1980s the New Zealand population of the Australasian crested grebe was at a precipitously low number of roughly 200 birds.

From Salon • Nov. 15, 2023

Mr Oliver sparked a global frenzy with an "alarmingly aggressive" campaign for the vulnerable crested grebe.

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2023

Oliver described pūteketeke, which number less than 1,000 in New Zealand and are also known as the Australasian crested grebe, as “weird, puking birds with colorful mullets.”

From Seattle Times • Nov. 13, 2023

As he spoke he bobbed and dipped like a dabchick or little grebe.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023