avocet

[ av-uh-set ]

noun

1. any of several long-legged, web-footed shorebirds constituting the genus Recurvirostra, having a long, slender, upward-curving bill.

avocet

/ ˈævəˌsɛt /

noun

1. any of several long-legged shore birds of the genus Recurvirostra, such as the European R. avosetta, having black-and-white plumage and a long upward-curving bill: family Recurvirostridae, order Charadriiformes

Word History and Origins

Origin of avocet¹

1760–70; < French avocette, probably erroneous spelling for New Latin avosetta < Italian < Upper Italian (< Venetian)

Word History and Origins

Origin of avocet¹

C18: from French avocette, from Italian avocetta, of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

"When I noticed this Egyptian goose flying to this small island, I immediately focused on the avocet, knowing that it was going to charge in and see off the goose."

From BBC

Along the way, we saw a multitude of birds — avocets, oystercatchers, white spoonbills and plenty of seagulls, in the air and expertly walking on the mud, leaving their tiny tracks.

From Washington Post

The island hosts 2,200 breeding couples of common terns, 15 breeding pairs of the rarer little terns and 250 breeding pairs of avocets.

From The Guardian

One day, Mariano saw “a Bonaparte’s gull mixed in with probably forty American avocets,” he said.

From The New Yorker

When seasonal rains come to the lake it becomes a haven for birds such as Australian pelicans, red-necked avocets, and other water birds.

From The Guardian