dotterel

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈdɑtərəl/ UK /ˈdɒtərəl/ See IPA manual

noun

Meanings

1

noun
a small migratory plover of upland and tundra habitats

A pair of dotterel nested among the stones on the high moor.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a small migratory plover of... plover

Word family

Related forms dotedotard

Etymology

From dote + -rel, named from the bird's reputed foolish tameness and ease of capture; literally 'a silly bird', from the sense of dote 'to be foolish'.

doten Middle English

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Topics

Describing Qualities

# dotterel

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** ˈdɑtərəl
**IPA (UK):** ˈdɒtərəl

## Meanings
1. a small migratory plover of upland and tundra habitats

## Examples
- A pair of dotterel nested among the stones on the high moor.

## Synonyms
- plover

## Related Forms
- dote
- dotard

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: doten

## Etymology
From dote + -rel, named from the bird's reputed foolish tameness and ease of capture; literally 'a silly bird', from the sense of dote 'to be foolish'.

## AI Etymology
Dotterel is from dote + -rel, named from the bird's reputed foolish tameness and ease of capture; literally 'a silly bird', from the sense of dote 'to be foolish'. Important recorded forms include doten (Middle English). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers a small migratory plover of upland and tundra habitats. The wider family includes related words such as dote and dotard.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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dotterel

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