1. A small plover (a type of wading bird) found in northern regions, known for its trusting behavior and tendency to mimic hunters' movements.
Usage: Also spelled dotterel.; Ornithology term.
2. A person who is easily deceived or fooled; a dupe.
Usage: Archaic or literary usage.; Derived from the bird's gullible nature.

Examples

• The dottrel is a small Arctic bird that breeds in mountainous regions.
• Birdwatchers traveled north hoping to spot a dottrel during migration season.
• The dottrel's lack of fear made it vulnerable to hunters in earlier centuries.
• In Shakespeare's time, calling someone a dottrel was an insult suggesting foolishness.
• The naturalist observed how the dottrel mimicked the movements of approaching predators.