[plo.ver] n, pl plover or plovers [ME, fr. MF, fr. (assumed) VL pluviarius, fr. L pluvia rain--more at pluvial] (14c) 1: any of a family (Charadriidae) of shore-inhabiting birds that differ from the sandpipers in having a short hard-tipped bill and usu. a stouter more compact build
2: any of various birds (as a turnstone or sandpiper) related to the plovers