motmot

American

[mot-mot] / ˈmɒt mɒt /

noun

any of several tropical and subtropical American birds of the family Momotidae, related to the kingfishers, having a serrate bill and chiefly greenish and bluish plumage.

motmot British

/ ˈmɒtmɒt /

noun

any tropical American bird of the family Momotidae, having a long tail and blue and brownish-green plumage: order Coraciiformes (kingfishers, etc)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of motmot

First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin American Spanish, from New Latin motmot; repetitive compound of imitative origin

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Motmot, inheritance of mutilation of tail feathers; racket-shaped feathers in the tail of a.

From The Descent of Man by Darwin, Charles

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023