curlew
noun
cur·lew
ˈkər-(ˌ)lü 
ˈkərl-(ˌ)yü
ˈkərl-(ˌ)yü
plural curlews or curlew
: any of various largely brownish chiefly migratory birds (especially genus Numenius) having long legs and a long slender down-curved bill and related to the sandpipers and snipes
Examples of curlew in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
What caused the curlew's extinction?
—
Doyle Rice, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
With his attention-grabbing walk, Trevelyan also wanted to raise money for local curlew conservation projects and encourage residents to get involved in looking out for the birds.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2025
Curlew was named for the scar on her back that resembles the beak of a curlew, a large wading bird.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2025
At a restaurant across from the fish market, the crabs were not even on offer, though a drawing above the display case depicted crabs being devoured by an octopus and a sharp-beaked curlew.
—Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2023
That’s less than a third of the lifespan of a curlew.
—Ali Smith, Harper’s Magazine , 25 May 2022
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Doyle Rice, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
With his attention-grabbing walk, Trevelyan also wanted to raise money for local curlew conservation projects and encourage residents to get involved in looking out for the birds.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2025
Curlew was named for the scar on her back that resembles the beak of a curlew, a large wading bird.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2025
At a restaurant across from the fish market, the crabs were not even on offer, though a drawing above the display case depicted crabs being devoured by an octopus and a sharp-beaked curlew.
—Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2023
That’s less than a third of the lifespan of a curlew.
—Ali Smith, Harper’s Magazine , 25 May 2022
Cite this Entry
“Curlew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curlew. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
curlew
noun
cur·lew
ˈkərl-ˌ(y)ü
plural curlews or curlew
: any of various largely brownish birds which are related to the woodcocks and are distinguished by long legs and a long slender bill that curves downward
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