grebe

[greeb]

Origin

noun

any diving bird of the family Podicipedidae, related to the loons, but having a rudimentary tail and lobate rather than webbed toes.

Compare great crested grebe, pied-billed grebe.

Origin:
1760–70; < French grèbe < ?

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Grebe is always a great word to know.

So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:

a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.

a fool or simpleton; ninny.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

grebe (ɡriːb)

—n
	any aquatic bird, such as Podiceps cristatus (great crested grebe), of the order Podicipediformes, similar to the divers but with lobate rather than webbed toes and a vestigial tail

[C18: from French grèbe, of unknown origin]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

grebe

1766, from Fr. grèbe, possibly from Breton krib "a comb," since some species are crested.

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pied-billed grebe dabchick finfoot

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