curlew
English
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curlew
- /ˈkɜːlju/ UK
- /ˈkɜːlu/ UK
- /ˈkɝlu/ US
Where it comes from
From Middle English curlew, from Old French courlieu (see French courlis), claimed to be imitative of the bird's cry but apparently assimilated with dialectal *corliu (“runner, messenger”), a variant of coureur (the bird is adept at running).
noun curlews
- Any of several migratory wading birds in the genus Numenius, remarkable for their long, slender, downcurved bills. The corncrake nested in the unmown field Answers its mate, across the misty stream On fitful wing the startled curlews fly, And in his sedgy bed the lark, for joy that Day is nigh [...]
- A stone curlew (Burhinidae spp.). That quivering wail from the billabong lying murkily mystic towards the East was only the cry of the fearing curlew.
Translations
Every language
noun migratory wading bird
| Español | zarapito |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | membe |
| Português | maçarico |
| Français | courlis |
| Deutsch | Brachvogel |
| Italiano | chiurlo |
| Ελληνικά | νουμήνιος noumínios, τουρλί tourlí, τουρλίδα tourlída |
| Română | corlă, găinușă-de-baltă |
| Русский | кроншне́п kronšnép |
| العربية | كَرَوَان karawān |
| עברית | חֶרְמְשׁוֹן |
Talk about this word "curlew." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/curlew. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. curlew. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/curlew "curlew." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/curlew.Cite this
@misc{curlew_2026,
title = {curlew},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/curlew},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
