pigeon

¹ American  

[pij-uhn] / ˈpɪdʒ ən /

noun

1. any bird of the family Columbidae, having a compact body and short legs, especially the larger species with square or rounded tails.

2. a domesticated member of this family, as one of the varieties of the rock dove.

3. Slang.

   1. a young, usually attractive, girl.

   2. a person who is easily fooled or cheated; dupe.

4. Poker Slang. a card, acquired in the draw, that greatly improves a hand or makes it a winner.

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pigeon ² American  

[pij-uhn] / ˈpɪdʒ ən /

noun

1. (not in technical use) pidgin; pidgin English.

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pigeon ¹ British  

/ ˈpɪdʒɪn /

noun

1. any of numerous birds of the family Columbidae, having a heavy body, small head, short legs, and long pointed wings: order Columbiformes See rock dove

2. slang a victim or dupe

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pigeon ² British  

/ ˈpɪdʒɪn /

noun

1. informal concern or responsibility (often in the phrase it's his, her, etc, pigeon )

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pigeon Idioms  

1. see clay pigeon; stool pigeon.

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Etymology

Origin of pigeon

1350–1400; Middle English pejon young dove < Middle French pijon < Late Latin pīpiōn- (stem of pīpiō ) squab, akin to pīpīre, pīpāre to chirp

Explanation

The birds you're most likely to see while strolling around a city are pigeons. In the wild, they typically eat grains and seeds, but in New York City, you might see them eating discarded popcorn, French fries — just about anything dropped by careless pedestrians. Pigeons have round bodies, short necks, and small beaks. These common birds are related to doves. Their feathers are mostly gray, but if you look closely at a pigeon you'll notice shades of green, blue, and white. The distinction between pigeons and doves is vague — often, the word dove simply means an all-white pigeon, though sometimes it refers to a smaller variety of bird. Pigeon is French, from a Latin root, pipio, "young, chirping bird."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pigeon

Thus the California grizzly joined the passenger pigeon, the most populous bird on earth, on the extinction list.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

She played nurse Megan Roach in the BBC's Casualty from 1986, making her final appearance in 2010; and was the Central Park pigeon lady in 1992's Home Alone sequel.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Researchers also identified an extinct pigeon species closely related to Australia's bronzewing pigeons.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026

The IRS does not care much whether you send the money to your son via Zelle, Venmo, wire transfer between your banks or carrier pigeon, as long as you account for it accurately and honestly.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026

But Aunt Kitty sat there perched like a pigeon on a park bench.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

• deceive
• discriminate against
• dupe
• exploit
• persecute
• pick on
• prey on
• sting