coturnix

[kuh-tur-niks]

noun

any of several small Old World quails of the genus Coturnix, especially C. japonica (Japanese quail), widely used as a laboratory animal.

Origin of coturnix

1758; < New Latin; Latin cōturnix, coturnix quail

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for coturnix

Historical Examples of coturnix

The grey quail (Coturnix communis) is a common bird of the Himalayas during a few days only in the year.
Birds of the Indian Hills
Douglas Dewar
The Coturnix vulgaris, a gallinaceous bird, allied to the partridge, but of smaller size.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II
Arnold Cooley
The only common ones that I can call to mind are the wagtails, the pipits, and the quail (Coturnix communis).
Birds of the Plains
Douglas Dewar
These grassy areas were favorite haunts of the Painted Quail, Coturnix chinensis.
Birds from North Borneo
Max C. Thompson
In July the black-breasted or rain-quail (Coturnix coromandelica) is plentiful in India.
A Bird Calendar for Northern India
Douglas Dewar