flamingo

American  

[fluh-ming-goh] / fləˈmɪŋ goʊ /

noun

• flamingos,
  plural
• flamingoes
  plural

1. any of several aquatic birds of the family Phoenicopteridae, having very long legs and neck, webbed feet, a bill bent downward at the tip, and pinkish to scarlet plumage.

---

flamingo British  

/ fləˈmɪŋɡəʊ /

noun

1. any large wading bird of the family Phoenicopteridae , having a pink-and-red plumage and downward-bent bill and inhabiting brackish lakes: order Ciconiiformes

2. 1. a reddish-orange colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      flamingo gloves

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• flamingoes
  plural
• flamingos
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of flamingo

1555–65; compare Portuguese flamengo, Spanish flamenco literally, Fleming ( cf. flamenco); apparently originally a jocular name, from the conventional Romance image of the Flemish as ruddy-complexioned

---

Explanation

A flamingo is a large, long-necked pink bird that often stands on one leg. Florida is one of the few places in the U.S. to see flamingos, aside from zoos. Though very few real flamingos are native to North America, you can spot the pink plastic lawn ornament version in front yards from California to Maine. These distinctive birds get their coloring from their food, and when flamingos in zoos aren't fed shrimp, their feathers fade to a white shade, rather than salmon pink. Flamingo is derived from the Spanish flamengo, "flame-colored."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flamingo flamingoes flamingos

Mr. Sparklepants and 29 flamingo friends rode out Isaias in the bathroom.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026

I gradually began to realize that despite the flamingo as an organizing symbol, these protests aren’t even really about Sazan or the Zvernec development.

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

The golden ticket came gift-wrapped in flamingo pink.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

A decorative flamingo and American flag are viewed at Flamingo Garden Mobile Home Park on July 9.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

Something about the way he moves reminds me of a flamingo.

From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez

Outrage spread and protesters began filling downtown Tirana carrying signs with images of Kushner, flamingoes, and Trump.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

He is believed to have fathered descendants, but detailed records were not kept on young flamingoes, German news agency dpa reported.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 8, 2024

The natural world has long been painted with every permutation of pink—whether embedded deep in ancient rock, sported by shrimp-hungry flamingoes, or simply lining the shores of Bermuda’s pink-sand beaches.

From National Geographic ● Jul. 21, 2023

At every turn, the resort has tried to reinvent itself, morphing in the late 1980s into a family-friendly destination, complete with a water park, flamingoes and talking parrots — rebranded “The Island of Las Vegas.”

From New York Times ● Jun. 19, 2023

Then he arrived at the end of the row, where Pinky and Pinky Too sat, pink as a pair of flamingoes.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

The lake's extreme briny environment sustains algae blooms that attract flamboyances of pink flamingos that thrive in the area.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

Never mind that the peninsula is currently an ecologically protected area known as the Vjosa Narta, including a river delta and lagoon that is home to hundreds of species of birds, including flamingos.

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

Zoo Miami—home to 37 flamingos and zero mockingbirds—also joined the cause.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

The Kushner-backed resort, along with another development on nearby Sazan Island, are both planned near a key breeding site for migratory birds -- including hundreds of flamingos.

From Barron's ● Jun. 20, 2026

It was one of those weird roadside curio shops that sell lawn flamingos and wooden Indians and cement grizzly bears and stuff like that.

From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---