1.
[syn: snakebird, anhinga, darter]
2. a person or other animal that moves abruptly and rapidly;
- Example: "squirrels are darters"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Snakebird \Snake"bird`\, n. [So named from its snakelike neck.]
(Zool.)
1. Any one of four species of aquatic birds of the genus
Anhinga or Plotus. They are allied to the gannets and
cormorants, but have very long, slender, flexible necks,
and sharp bills.
[1913 Webster]
Note: The American species (Anhinga anhinga syn. Plotus
anhinga) inhabits the Southern United States and
tropical America; -- called also darter, and water
turkey. The Asiatic species (Anhinga melanogaster)
is native of Southern Asia and the East Indies. Two
other species inhabit Africa and Australia
respectively.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Zool.) The wryneck.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Darter \Dart"er\, n.
1. One who darts, or who throw darts; that which darts.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Zool.) The snakebird, a water bird of the genus Plotus;
-- so called because it darts out its long, snakelike neck
at its prey. See Snakebird.
[1913 Webster]
3. (Zool.) A small fresh-water etheostomoid fish. The group
includes numerous genera and species, all of them
American. See Etheostomoid.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Etheostomoid \E`the*os"to*moid\, a. [NL. etheostoma name of a
genus + -oid.] (Zo["o]l.)
Pertaining to, or like, the genus Etheostoma. -- n. Any
fish of the genus Etheostoma and related genera, allied to
the perches; -- also called darter. The etheostomoids are
small and often bright-colored fishes inhabiting the fresh
waters of North America. About seventy species are known,
including the rare snail darter (Percina tanasi), 3
inches long, found only in the Tennessee River and classified
as a threatened species. See Darter.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
darter
n 1: fish-eating bird of warm inland waters having a long
flexible neck and slender sharp-pointed bill [syn:
snakebird, anhinga, darter]
2: a person or other animal that moves abruptly and rapidly;
"squirrels are darters"