dipper

dipper
/dip"euhr/, n.
1. a person or thing that dips.
2. a cuplike container with a long handle, used for dipping liquids.
3. (cap.) Astron.
a. See Big Dipper.
4. Ornith. Also called water ouzel. any small, stocky diving bird of the family Cinclidae, related to the thrushes, esp. Cinclus aquaticus of Europe and C. mexicanus of western North America, having dense, oilyplumage and frequenting rapid streams and rivers.
5. South Midland and Southern U.S. a person who uses snuff.
[1350-1400; ME: diving bird; see DIP, -ER1]

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Any of five songbird species in the genus Cinclus (family Cinclidae), noted for hunting insects by walking underwater in rushing streams.

The species are widely distributed in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North and South America. Dippers are plump, stub-tailed birds, about 7 in. (18 cm) long, with a thrushlike bill and legs. They are commonly blackish brown or dull gray. They nest in a dome of moss built in a crevice, often behind a waterfall. See also ouzel.

Eurasian dipper (Cinclus cinclus)

H.M. Barnfather
Bruce Coleman Inc.

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bird
also called  Water Ouzel,  

      any of four species of songbirds of the Cinclidae family (order Passeriformes) noted for insect hunting by walking underwater in rushing streams and named for their frequent body bobbing.

 Among the best-known species are the Eurasian, or white-bellied, dipper (Cinclus cinclus; see photograph—>), blackish brown with a white breast, found from northern Africa and Europe to Manchuria, and the North American dipper (C. mexicanus), dull gray in colour, found from Alaska to Panama, east to the foothills of the Rockies. Two other species are found in mountainous areas of South America and Asia; there is also an Asiatic species, the brown dipper (C. pallasii), found from the Himalayas to China, Korea, and Japan.

      Dippers are plump, stub-tailed birds, about 18 cm (7 inches) long, with thrushlike bills and legs. The nest is a dome of moss built in a crevice, often behind a waterfall.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Dipper — Dip per, n. 1. One who, or that which, dips; especially, a vessel used to dip water or other liquid; a ladle. [1913 Webster] 2. (Zo[ o]l.) (a) A small grebe; the dabchick. (b) The buffel duck. (c) The water ouzel ({Cinolus aquaticus}) of Europe.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • dipper — [dip′ər] n. 1. a person whose work is dipping something in liquid ☆ 2. a long handled cup or similar container for dipping 3. any of a family (Cinclidae) of passerine birds living near swift streams in which they wade and dive in search of… …   English World dictionary

  • dipper — late 14c., as a type of diving bird, agent noun from DIP (Cf. dip) (v.). As a ladle or long handled utensil for drawing liquid, from 1783, chiefly Amer.Eng. As the popular U.S. name for the asterism known in Britain as The Plough or Charles Wain …   Etymology dictionary

  • dipper — ► NOUN 1) a short tailed songbird able to dive into fast flowing streams to feed. 2) a ladle …   English terms dictionary

  • Dipper — For other uses, see Dipper (disambiguation). Dippers American Dipper Scientific classification Kingdom …   Wikipedia

  • Dipper — Theodor Dipper (* 1903; † 1969) war Dekan des Kirchenbezirks Nürtingen (1945–59) und Ludwigsburg (1959–69), Mitbegründer der württembergischen Bekenntnisbewegung und einer der entscheidenden Organisatoren der Württembergischen Pfarrhauskette,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • dipper — noun Date: 1611 1. one that dips: as a. a worker who dips articles b. something (as a long handled cup) used for dipping c. slang pickpocket 2. any of a genus (Cinclus and especially C. cinclus of the Old World and C. mexicanus of …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • dipper — UK [ˈdɪpə(r)] / US [ˈdɪpər] noun [countable] Word forms dipper : singular dipper plural dippers a small bird that lives near rivers • See: big dipper …   English dictionary

  • dipper —   Kī o e, ipu kī o e, o o o;    ♦ dipper made of ti leaf, kī apu;    ♦ dipper made of taro or ape leaf, kili apu. See Big Dipper …   English-Hawaiian dictionary

  • Dipper — noun a) A member or supporter of the Canadian New Democratic Party. But the Dippers should hold their applause, since their party doesnt have the grassroots organization or the roster of good candidates it needs to capitalize on their leaders… …   Wiktionary

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