(Originally) †the purple sandpiper, Calidris maritima (obsolete); (in later use) the very similar C. ptilocnemis, of rocky shores on the coasts of the North Pacific.
Origin
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in William Jardine (1800–1874), naturalist.
Definition of rock sandpiper in US English:
rock sandpiper
noun
(Originally) †the purple sandpiper, Calidris maritima (obsolete); (in later use) the very similar C. ptilocnemis, of rocky shores on the coasts of the North Pacific.
Origin
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in William Jardine (1800–1874), naturalist.