lapwing
English
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lapwing
- /ˈlæpwɪŋ/
Where it comes from
From Middle English lapwynge, lapwynke, lappewincke, lapwynche, lhapwynche, from Old English hlēapewince (“lapwing”), from Old English hlēapan (“to leap”) + wincian (“to wink, make a sign”), due to its manner of flight. Cognate with West Frisian ljip (“lapwing”).
The modern form is influenced by folk etymology to resemble English wing.
noun lapwings
- Any of several medium-sized wading birds belonging to the subfamily Vanellinae, within family Charadriidae. Plovers and lapwings are a large, virtually worldwide family that differs from sandpipers in, among other things, having a shorter, thicker, pigeonlike bill and more robust proportions.
- The northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus).
- A silly man. This lapwing runs away with the shell on his head.
Translations
Talk about this word "lapwing." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/lapwing. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. lapwing. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/lapwing "lapwing." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/lapwing.Cite this
@misc{lapwing_2026,
title = {lapwing},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/lapwing},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
