Yellowleg

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A slender wading shorebird of the sandpiper family, named for its bright yellow legs and found near marshes and shallow water
2. A long-legged sandpiper-like bird with bright yellow legs that feeds in shallow wetlands and mudflats
3. Any of several migratory shore birds of the genus Tringa, distinguished by their vivid yellow legs and loud whistling calls

Etymology: "Yellowlegs" names two North American shorebirds, the greater and lesser yellowlegs, both members of the genus Tringa. The name is a plain compound: "yellow" plus "leg" with the plural "-s", describing the bright yellow legs that set these birds apart from similar sandpipers. The compound follows the same pattern as many other English bird names built on a colour and a body part, and its meaning is transparent from the start, with no earlier sense to uncover. The word appears as a noun for the birds and as an adjective in descriptive use, such as a yellowlegs bird or yellowlegs sandpiper, where it simply qualifies the same birds. The sense is literal throughout, so the name has not drifted far from its original description.