plural willets also willet
: a large American shorebird (Tringa semipalmata) of the sandpiper family that resembles the greater yellowlegs but has a thicker bill and gray legs and that displays a black-and-white wing pattern when in flight
Examples of willet in a Sentence
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During a hike through Robinsons Island, visitors can spot boreal chickadees, red crossbills and yellow warblers flitting along the branches, while the refuge’s many beaches are perfect for spotting shorebirds like the willet and greater yellowlegs.
—
Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
Shorebirds began their journeys early and travel fast, many of them after a short breeding season in the far, far north, so birds like sandpipers, yellowlegs, willets, godwits and curlews are already present in abundant numbers.
—Jack Gedney, The Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2024
This scenic bayside village between Newport and Providence is home to intriguing species such as the wading willet and the iridescent purple martin, depending on the season.
—Alexandra Marvar, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2023
Other sightings around the Cape included 5 snowy egrets in West Dennis, a continuing willet at Red River Beach in Harwich, 8 red crossbills in East Harwich, and a clapper rail in Brewster.
—BostonGlobe.com, 12 Apr. 2023
Other sightings around the Cape included 5 purple martins and a cliff swallow in Mashpee, a willet in West Dennis, a glaucous gull in Osterville, indigo buntings in Hyannis and Chatham, blue-gray gnatcatchers in Harwich and Eastham, and an early great-crested flycatcher and house wren in Orleans.
—BostonGlobe.com, 20 Apr. 2022
Huntington State Beach is home to a number of species of birds, including gulls, willet, elegant terns and reddish egret, which are a rarity on the west coast, according to Ben Smith, a biologist and environmental consultant for the county.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2021
At low tides, sandpipers and willets are common on the mudflats.
—Tom Stienstra, SFChronicle.com, 30 Jan. 2020
Ten least sandpipers, 34 semipalmated sandpipers, a willet, and two lesser and 10 greater yellowlegs were also seen.
—BostonGlobe.com, 29 July 2019
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Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
Shorebirds began their journeys early and travel fast, many of them after a short breeding season in the far, far north, so birds like sandpipers, yellowlegs, willets, godwits and curlews are already present in abundant numbers.
—Jack Gedney, The Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2024
This scenic bayside village between Newport and Providence is home to intriguing species such as the wading willet and the iridescent purple martin, depending on the season.
—Alexandra Marvar, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2023
Other sightings around the Cape included 5 snowy egrets in West Dennis, a continuing willet at Red River Beach in Harwich, 8 red crossbills in East Harwich, and a clapper rail in Brewster.
—BostonGlobe.com, 12 Apr. 2023
Other sightings around the Cape included 5 purple martins and a cliff swallow in Mashpee, a willet in West Dennis, a glaucous gull in Osterville, indigo buntings in Hyannis and Chatham, blue-gray gnatcatchers in Harwich and Eastham, and an early great-crested flycatcher and house wren in Orleans.
—BostonGlobe.com, 20 Apr. 2022
Huntington State Beach is home to a number of species of birds, including gulls, willet, elegant terns and reddish egret, which are a rarity on the west coast, according to Ben Smith, a biologist and environmental consultant for the county.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2021
At low tides, sandpipers and willets are common on the mudflats.
—Tom Stienstra, SFChronicle.com, 30 Jan. 2020
Ten least sandpipers, 34 semipalmated sandpipers, a willet, and two lesser and 10 greater yellowlegs were also seen.
—BostonGlobe.com, 29 July 2019
Cite this Entry
“Willet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/willet. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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