oystercatcher

noun

oys·​ter·​catch·​er ˈȯi-stər-ˌka-chər How to pronounce oystercatcher (audio)
-ˌke-
: any of a family (Haematopodidae containing a single genus Haematopus) of wading birds that have stout legs, a heavy wedge-shaped bill, and often black-and-white plumage

Illustration of oystercatcher

Illustration of oystercatcher

Examples of oystercatcher in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Wilson's phalaropes, American oystercatchers and wood storks. Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024 American oystercatchers face several threats to their survival. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 July 2024 After the city’s Emergency Management Department flagged the coastal conflict last month, drone operators, largely drawn from the police and fire department, agreed to fly the devices further from oystercatcher nesting areas. Chris Morris, Fortune, 12 July 2024 After the city's Emergency Management Department flagged the coastal conflict last month, drone operators, largely drawn from the police and fire departments, agreed to fly the devices farther from oystercatcher nesting areas. CBS News, 12 July 2024 The city’s Emergency Management Department, which also flies drones over the beach, flagged the coastal conflict last month to other drone operators in the police and fire department, who agreed to launch the devices further from oystercatcher nesting areas. Jake Offenhartz, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 July 2024 Plum Island is home to 227 species of birds, including piping plovers, roseate terns, Northern harriers, ospreys and American oystercatchers, according to Save the Sound’s Envision Plum Island Report. Ed Stannard, Hartford Courant, 19 June 2024 Their bleating cry is as much the music of these green mountains as the shrill call of the oystercatchers, the Faroes' noisy national bird. Tim Ecott, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 May 2023 The trip provided views of the magnificent Chincoteague ponies in a meadow, blue herons soaring above, white egrets keeping a wary eye and oystercatchers poking the sand with their long bills. Joe Heim, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oystercatcher.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1731, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oystercatcher was in 1731

Dictionary Entries Near oystercatcher

Cite this Entry

“Oystercatcher.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oystercatcher. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

oyster catcher

noun
: any of several wading birds with stout legs, a heavy wedge-shaped bill, and often black and white plumage

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