flamingo

[fluh-ming-goh]

noun

plural

flamingos, flamingoes 

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

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of flamingo¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of flamingo¹

C16: from Portuguese flamengo , from Provençal flamenc , from Latin flamma flame + Germanic suffix -ing denoting descent from or membership of; compare _-ing ³

Example Sentences

It boasts a total of 114 mammal species and attract hundreds of migratory birds including flamingos.

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The greater flamingo's pink colouring comes from a diet high in carotenoids - pigments found in algae and invertebrates such as shrimp.

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In September, flocks of phalaropes will arrive in Argentina’s plains and gather at Laguna Mar Chiquita, the largest saline lake in the hemisphere, where they will congregate alongside pink flamingos.

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She points to a spot where, for the first time in 14 years, flamingo chicks hatched this year.

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Molting peacocks squawked in the distance and a Pacific breeze whispered through the eucalyptus as flamingo keeper Liz Gibbons tidied her station at the San Francisco Zoo.

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