dotterel /ˈdɒtɹəl/noun 3adjective 1forms 3 noun3 •A small brown-and-black bird of species Charadrius morinellus, of the plover family. •(Australia, New-Zealand) Any of various small birds of Australasia thought to resemble the Eurasian dotterel. •A gullible fool, especially an elderly person with impaired faculties.This poor dotterel, Sir Arthur, is playing fast and loose with me. — 1792 adjective1 •decayedsome old dotterel trees — 1570 formsdotterels · more dotterel · most dotterel