The Collaborative International Dictionary
Curlew \Cur"lew\ (k[^u]r"l[=u]), n. [F. courlieu, corlieu, courlis; perh. of imitative origin, but cf. OF. corlieus courier; L. currere to run + levis light.] (Zo["o]l.) A wading bird of the genus Numenius, remarkable for its long, slender, curved bill.
Note: The common European curlew is Numenius arquatus. The long-billed ( Numenius longirostris), the Hudsonian ( Numenius Hudsonicus), and the Eskimo curlew ( Numenius borealis, are American species. The name is said to imitate the note of the European species.
Curlew Jack (Zo["o]l.) the whimbrel or lesser curlew.
Curlew sandpiper (Zo["o]l.), a sandpiper ( Tringa ferruginea or Tringa subarquata), common in Europe, rare in America, resembling a curlew in having a long, curved bill. See Illustation in Appendix.