carrier pigeon

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noun

one of a breed of domestic pigeons having a large wattle around the base of the beak.

a homing pigeon trained to carry messages.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of carrier pigeon

First recorded in 1640–50

Words nearby carrier pigeon

carried interest, carrier, carrier bag, Carrière, carrier-free, carrier pigeon, carrier wave, Carrington, carriole, carrion, carrion beetle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use carrier pigeon in a sentence

From smoke signals to carrier pigeons to the telephone to television, humans have always sought methods that would allow them to communicate farther, faster and more reliably.
How Claude Shannon Invented the Future|David Tse|December 22, 2020|Quanta Magazine
The vaccine is delivered through a “carrier virus” that causes a common cold in chimpanzees but does not affect humans.
The Race for the Ebola Vaccine|Abby Haglage|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The airplane was owned by an Indonesian budget carrier, Lion Air.
Who Will Get AsiaAir 8501’s Black Boxes?|Clive Irving|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Riffing off the slogan “Now Everyone Can Fly,” the carrier offered no-frills flights that were both cheap and plentiful.
The Presumed Crash of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 Is Nothing Like MH370|Lennox Samuels|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

AirAsia, on the other hand, is a relatively new carrier, an upstart in the tradition of Southwest Airlines in the United States.
The Presumed Crash of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 Is Nothing Like MH370|Lennox Samuels|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The NYPD remained his ultimate goal as he went to work as a carrier for Airborne Express/DHL and then as a school safety officer.
In The Shadow of Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She repeated the brief phrases, as well as she could recall them, to a Eurasian whom she found acting as a water-carrier.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
The "pigeon house" stood behind a locked gate, and a shallow parterre that had been somewhat neglected.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
And the same goes for any other common carrier—the railroads, bus service, and airlines.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
After she was far away she looked back and saw a pigeon resting on the shoulder of the statue.
Honey-Bee|Anatole France
Again he accompanied her back to her home; and it was after dusk when they reached the little "pigeon-house."
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

British Dictionary definitions for carrier pigeon

carrier pigeon

noun

any homing pigeon, esp one used for carrying messages

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