lesser yellowlegs

noun

plural in form but singular or plural in construction
: a common American marsh and shore bird (Tringa flavipes) that closely resembles the greater yellowlegs in color and markings but is smaller with a shorter more slender bill

Examples of lesser yellowlegs in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Birds at Bell’s Neck Conservation Area in Harwich included 40 green-winged teal, 2 Wilson’s snipe, 2 lesser yellowlegs, 16 greater yellowlegs, 4 bald eagles, and 5 osprey. BostonGlobe.com, 30 Mar. 2022 North of Boston, recent sightings at Rough Meadows Sanctuary in Topsfield have included a pectoral sandpiper, two American woodcocks, a lesser yellowlegs, and a Magnolia warbler. BostonGlobe.com, 13 Nov. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lesser yellowlegs was in 1889

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Cite this Entry

“Lesser yellowlegs.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lesser%20yellowlegs. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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