# curlew

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkɜːlju/ · frequency rank #68,137

## Definitions
1. Any of several migratory wading birds in the genus Numenius, remarkable for their long, slender, downcurved bills.
2. A stone curlew (Burhinidae spp.).

## Etymology
From Middle English curlew, from Old French courlieu (see French courlis), claimed to be imitative of the bird's cry but apparently assimilated with dialectal *corliu (“runner, messenger”), a variant of coureur (the bird is adept at running).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/curlew