wader

American  

[wey-der] / ˈweɪ dər /

noun

1. a person or thing that wades.

2. Also called wading bird.  any of various large birds having long legs, long necks, and long bills, that are adapted for wading in shallow waters and living on fish, frogs, etc., as the crane, heron, stork, shoebill, ibis, and flamingo.

3. British. any of various ground-nesting shorebirds of small to moderate size, as the gull, tern, skimmer, phalarope, and plover.

4. waders, high, waterproof boots used for wading, as by fishermen, duck hunters, or laborers.

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wader British  

/ ˈweɪdə /

noun

1. a person or thing that wades

2. Also called: wading bird.  any of various long-legged birds, esp those of the order Ciconiiformes (herons, storks, etc), that live near water and feed on fish, etc

3. a Brit name for shore bird

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Etymology

Origin of wader

First recorded in 1665–75; wade + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Drones have been buzzing over Welsh wetlands this year as researchers try to find curlew nests and save the upland wader from extinction.

From BBC • Aug. 3, 2024

For Bijleveld, this research is another step forward in assembling the complex puzzle of wader behaviour.

From Science Daily • Jan. 10, 2024

It looked like someone had bronzed a giant’s hip wader as though it were a baby shoe.

From The New Yorker • Jan. 29, 2017

Abstractions of a kilt, flowing trousers inspired by wader boots and moss green velvet draped dresses had a stylish Scottish vibe.

From New York Times • Feb. 23, 2010

It is not an uncommon wader in its somewhat restricted range.

From The Bird Book Illustrating in natural colors more than seven hundred North American birds; also several hundred photographs of their nests and eggs. by Reed, Chester A. (Chester Albert)