A small wading bird, Calidris maritima (family Scolopacidae), that breeds in Iceland, Greenland, and some other Arctic and subarctic regions and has predominantly dark grey plumage in winter.
Origin
Early 19th century; earliest use found in George Montagu (1750–1829), naturalist.
Definition of purple sandpiper in US English:
purple sandpiper
noun
A small wading bird, Calidris maritima (family Scolopacidae), that breeds in Iceland, Greenland, and some other Arctic and subarctic regions and has predominantly dark grey plumage in winter.
Origin
Early 19th century; earliest use found in George Montagu (1750–1829), naturalist.