bobwhite

American  

[bob-hwahyt, -wahyt] / ˈbɒbˈʰwaɪt, -ˈwaɪt /

noun

bobwhites plural

1. any of several true quails of the genus Colinus, family Odontophoridae, including C. virginianus northern bobwhite, distributed through much of the Americas, having mottled reddish-brown, black, and white plumage: the bobwhite gets its name from its whistling call, which sweeps upward in pitch as an easily discernible “bob-white.”

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bobwhite British  

/ ˈbɒbˌwaɪt /

noun

1. a brown North American quail, Colinus virginianus , the male of which has white markings on the head: a popular game bird

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• bobwhite
  plural
• bobwhites
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bobwhite

An Americanism dating back to 1805–15; imitative of its call

Example Sentences

The system’s greenery still harbors the bobwhite quail and other declining species.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 14, 2023

Northern bobwhite quail, which are roughly the size of a softball, have short legs, short wings and don’t fly much.

From Washington Post • Mar. 7, 2023

Every day, during the spring, summer and fall, I used to hear the clear, ringing whistle of bobwhite quail.

From Washington Post • Sep. 25, 2019

The clearing of forests as humans migrated west in the 18th century led to an agrarian society of the 19th century that favored birds like the northern bobwhite, while the golden-winged warbler declined with deforestation.

From Washington Times • May 26, 2018

The javelinas moved away, and I saw some bobwhite quail feed into the opening around the Licks.

From "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson