English Explanatory Dictionary

godwit

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Any of four species of long-billed migratory wading birds in the genus Limosa, of the family Scolopacidae.

Pronunciation

gŏdˈ -wĭt /ˈɡɑd.wɪt/ /ˈɡɒd.wɪt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-godwit.wav

Word forms

godwit godwits

Etymology

Origin unknown. A surface analysis would suggest Old English *gōdwiht as the term's ultimate origin, corresponding to good + wight (“creature”), but the term is attested only since late Middle English. The Oxford English Dictionary considers the term to probably have originally been imitative of the bird's call.

Synonyms

yarwhelp yarwip

Derived words

bar-tailed godwit black-tailed godwit blackwit Hudsonian godwit hudwit marbled godwit
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