plover \plov"er\, n. of. plovier, f. pluvier, prop., the rain
   bird, fr. ll. assumed pluviarius, fr. l. pluvia rain, from
   pluere to rain; akin to e. float, g. fliessen to flow. see
   float.
   1. zool. any one of numerous species of limicoline birds
      belonging to the family charadridae, and especially
      those belonging to the subfamily charadrinsae. they
      are prized as game birds.
      1913 webster

   2. zool. any grallatorial bird allied to, or resembling,
      the true plovers, as the crab plover dromas ardeola;
      the american upland, plover bartramia longicauda; and
      other species of sandpipers.
      1913 webster

   note: among the more important species are the blackbellied
         plover or blackbreasted plover charadrius
         squatarola of america and europe; -- called also
         gray plover, bull-head plover, swiss plover, sea
         plover, and oxeye; the golden plover see under
         golden; the ring plover or ringed plover
         aegialitis hiaticula. see ringneck. the piping
         plover aegialitis meloda; wilson's plover
         aegialitis wilsonia; the mountain plover
         aegialitis montana; and the semipalmated plover
         aegialitis semipalmata, are all small american
         species.
         1913 webster

   bastard plover zool., the lapwing.

   long-legged plover, or yellow-legged plover. see
      tattler.

   plover's page, the dunlin. prov. eng.

   rock plover, or stone plover, the black-bellied plover.
      prov. eng.

   whistling plover.
      a the golden plover.
      b the black-bellied plover.
          1913 webster plow
see also:
float charadridae charadrinsae dromas ardeola bartramia longicauda blackbellied plover 
blackbreasted plover charadrius squatarola gray plover bull-head plover swiss plover 
sea plover oxeye golden plover golden ring plover 
ringed plover aegialitis hiaticula ringneck piping plover aegialitis meloda 
wilson's plover aegialitis wilsonia mountain plover aegialitis montana semipalmated plover 
aegialitis semipalmata bastard plover long-legged plover yellow-legged plover tattler 
plover's page rock plover stone plover whistling plover 

ring \ring\, n. as. hring, hrinc; akin to fries. hring, d.  g.
   ring, ohg. ring, hring, icel. hringr, dan.  sw. ring; cf.
   russ. krug'. cf. harangue, rank a row,rink.
   a circle, or a circular line, or anything in the form of a
   circular line or hoop.
   1913 webster

   2. specifically, a circular ornament of gold or other
      precious material worn on the finger, or attached to the
      ear, the nose, or some other part of the person; as, a
      wedding ring.
      1913 webster

            upon his thumb he had of gold a ring. --chaucer.
      1913 webster

            the dearest ring in venice will i give you. --shak.
      1913 webster

   3. a circular area in which races are or run or other sports
      are performed; an arena.
      1913 webster

            place me, o, place me in the dusty ring,
            where youthful charioteers contend for glory. --e.
                                                  smith.
      1913 webster

   4. an inclosed space in which pugilists fight; hence,
      figuratively, prize fighting. "the road was an
      institution, the ring was an institution." --thackeray.
      1913 webster

   5. a circular group of persons.
      1913 webster

            and hears the muses in a ring
            aye round about jove's alter sing.    --milton.
      1913 webster

   6. geom.
      a the plane figure included between the circumferences
          of two concentric circles.
      b the solid generated by the revolution of a circle, or
          other figure, about an exterior straight line as an
          axis lying in the same plane as the circle or other
          figure.
          1913 webster

   7. astron.  navigation an instrument, formerly used for
      taking the sun's altitude, consisting of a brass ring
      suspended by a swivel, with a hole at one side through
      which a solar ray entering indicated the altitude on the
      graduated inner surface opposite.
      1913 webster

   8. bot. an elastic band partly or wholly encircling the
      spore cases of ferns. see illust. of sporangium.
      1913 webster

   9. a clique; an exclusive combination of persons for a
      selfish purpose, as to control the market, distribute
      offices, obtain contracts, etc.
      1913 webster

            the ruling ring at constantinople.    --e. a.
                                                  freeman.
      1913 webster

   ring armor, armor composed of rings of metal. see ring
      mail, below, and chain mail, under chain.

   ring blackbird zool., the ring ousel.

   ring canal zool., the circular water tube which surrounds
      the esophagus of echinoderms.

   ring dotterel, or ringed dotterel. zool. see
      dotterel, and illust. of pressiroster.

   ring dropper, a sharper who pretends to have found a ring
      dropped by himself, and tries to induce another to buy
      it as valuable, it being worthless.

   ring fence. see under fence.

   ring finger, the third finger of the left hand, or the next
      the little finger, on which the ring is placed in
      marriage.

   ring formula chem., a graphic formula in the shape of a
      closed ring, as in the case of benzene, pyridine, etc. see
      illust. under benzene.

   ring mail, a kind of mail made of small steel rings sewed
      upon a garment of leather or of cloth.

   ring micrometer. astron. see circular micrometer, under
      micrometer.

   saturn's rings. see saturn.

   ring ousel. zool. see ousel.

   ring parrot zool., any one of several species of old
      world parrakeets having a red ring around the neck,
      especially palaeornis torquatus, common in india, and
      palaeornis alexandri of java.

   ring plover. zool.
      a the ringed dotterel.
      b any one of several small american plovers having a
          dark ring around the neck, as the semipalmated plover
          aegialitis semipalmata.

   ring snake zool., a small harmless american snake
      diadophis punctatus having a white ring around the
      neck. the back is ash-colored, or sage green, the belly of
      an orange red.

   ring stopper. naut. see under stopper.

   ring thrush zool., the ring ousel.

   the prize ring, the ring in which prize fighters contend;
      prize fighters, collectively.

   the ring.
      a the body of sporting men who bet on horse races.
          eng.
      b the prize ring.
          1913 webster
see also:
harangue rank rink sporangium ring armor ring mail 
chain mail chain ring blackbird ring canal ring dotterel 
ringed dotterel dotterel pressiroster ring dropper ring fence 
fence ring finger ring formula benzene ring mail 
ring micrometer circular micrometer micrometer saturn's rings saturn 
ring ousel ousel ring parrot palaeornis torquatus palaeornis alexandri 
java ring plover aegialitis semipalmata ring snake diadophis punctatus 
ring stopper stopper ring thrush the prize ring the ring 

ringneck \ring"neck`\, n.
   1. zool. any one of several species of small plovers of the
      genus aegialitis, having a ring around the neck. the
      ring is black in summer, but becomes brown or gray in
      winter. the semipalmated plover aegialitis semipalmata
      and the piping plover aegialitis meloda are common
      north american species. called also ring plover, and
      ring-necked plover.
      1913 webster

   2. zool. the ring-necked duck.
      1913 webster
see also:
aegialitis aegialitis semipalmata aegialitis meloda ring plover ring-necked plover