Numenius longirostris
(gcide) | Curlew \Cur"lew\ (k[^u]r"l[=u]), n. [F. courlieu, corlieu,
courlis; perh. of imitative origin, but cf. OF. corlieus
courier; L. currere to run + levis light.] (Zool.)
A wading bird of the genus Numenius, remarkable for its
long, slender, curved bill.
[1913 Webster]
Note: The common European curlew is Numenius arquatus. The
long-billed (Numenius longirostris), the Hudsonian
(Numenius Hudsonicus), and the Eskimo curlew
(Numenius borealis, are American species. The name is
said to imitate the note of the European species.
[1913 Webster]
Curlew Jack (Zool.) the whimbrel or lesser curlew.
Curlew sandpiper (Zool.), a sandpiper (Tringa ferruginea
or Tringa subarquata), common in Europe, rare in
America, resembling a curlew in having a long, curved
bill. See Illustation in Appendix.
[1913 Webster] |