noun.
Any of various swimming and diving birds of the family Podicipedidae, having a pointed bill and lobed, fleshy membranes along each toe.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
noun.
A bird of the family Podicipedidæ (which see for technical characters); a diving bird, related to the loons or divers, but pinnatiped or lobe-footed, with a rudimentary tail, naked lores, and, in most species, a crest on the head.
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
noun.
One of several swimming birds or divers, of the genus Colymbus (formerly Podiceps), and allied genera, found in the northern parts of America, Europe, and Asia. They have strong, sharp bills, and lobate toes.
noun.
Any of several waterbirds in the cosmopolitan family Podicipedidae. They have strong, sharp bills, and lobate toes.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
noun.
small compact-bodied almost completely aquatic bird that builds floating nests; similar to loons but smaller and with lobate rather than webbed feet
Word Usage
"One single species of grebe, which is uneatable, found no grace in the eyes of the young merchant; this was the “caiarara,” as quick to dive as to swim or fly; a bird with a disagreeable cry, but whose down bears a high price in the different markets of the"