grebe
oxford
views updated May 18 2018grebe / grēb/ •
n. a diving waterbird (family Podicipedidae) with a long neck, lobed toes, and almost no tail, typically having bright breeding plumage used in display. The several North American species include the western grebe (Aechmorphorus occidentalis) and the pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps).
The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English
grebe
oxford
views updated May 29 2018grebe Brown, grey and black freshwater diving bird found worldwide. It flies laboriously and has legs set so far back that it cannot walk. There are five common species of grebes in
Britain and
w Europe. Length: to 48cm (19in). Family Podicepididae; genus Podiceps.
World Encyclopedia
grebe
oxford
views updated May 18 2018grebe XVIII. — F.
grèbe, of unkn. orig.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD
