any bird of the family Columbidae, especially the smaller species with pointed tails.
a pure white member of this species, used as a symbol of innocence, gentleness, tenderness, and peace.
Dove, a symbol for the Holy Ghost.
an innocent, gentle, or tender person.
Also called peace dove. a person, especially one in public office, who advocates peace, compromise, or a conciliatory national attitude.
Economics. an official or advisor who advocates low interest rates or other monetary policies aimed at reducing unemployment and promoting economic growth.
Astronomy. Dove, the constellation Columba.
Arthur, 1880–1946, U.S. painter.
Rita, born 1952, U.S. poet and educator: U.S. poet laureate 1993.
any of various birds of the family Columbidae, having a heavy body, small head, short legs, and long pointed wings: order Columbiformes. They are typically smaller than pigeons
politics a person opposed to war Compare hawk 1
a gentle or innocent person: used as a term of endearment
a greyish-brown colour
( as adjective )
dove walls
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English; Old English dūfe- (in dūfedoppa “dip-diver”); cognate with Dutch duif, German Taube, Old Norse dūfa, Gothic dūbo, originally, “a diver”
A plump white or gray bird that makes a cooing sound is a dove. In both religious and secular contexts, doves are often used to symbolize peace. Doves and pigeons are closely related, and the two names are often used interchangeably. These round, short-necked birds live almost everywhere on the earth, with the exception of Antarctica, the highest elevations of the Arctic, and the Sahara Desert. In politics, a person whose priority is advocating for peaceful solutions is often referred to as a dove.
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A survey of the Blean will focus on six endangered species that are found there, including the the heath fritillary butterfly, one of the UK's rarest, and the turtle dove.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Despite having been in basic training only eight months, he knew what that meant, and dove for the floor.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Warsh may be more of a dove on rates than he appears at first glance.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
In the second inning, Max Muncy hit a line drive into the corner, and Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. dove after it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2026
“Love potions are made the same way, except you use a dove instead of a bat.”
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
In “Daughters of the Sun and Moon,” Dove, Petal and Moon arrive in “the dirty, dusty, violent streets of Los Angeles.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
Underlying sales for the Dove soap-maker rose 3.8% on year in the quarter, above company-compiled analyst estimates of 3.6% growth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
Bloom, who shares a daughter, Daisy Dove, with Perry, later broke his silence on their separation, telling “Today” host Craig Melvin during a September interview that everything between them is “great.”
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 23, 2026
His many other roles included a mafia consigliere in The Godfather, a bombastic army officer in Apocalypse Now, and a Texas Ranger-turned-cattle driver in Lonesome Dove.
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026
Now both Dove and Dusty were more valuable than Johnny Tremain.
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
Senior members of Fed who are seen as doves, all else being equal, tend to favor lower interest rates and worry less about inflation than members viewed as hawks.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 3, 2026
And two Americans: Kenyon, a wry, observant, skeptical humanist sculptor, perhaps a stand-in for Hawthorne himself; and Hilda, a New England Puritan painter—self-possessed, pious, unswervingly loyal, pure as a flight of doves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
On the opposite side, these scientists used the flight behavior of doves to train the attacking drones how to dodge their hawk-trained adversaries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
Dr Simon Lyster, chairman of the Essex Local Nature Partnership, agrees that the likes of nightingales and turtle doves could come to the site.
From BBC ● Dec. 14, 2025
Stay and sleep to the doves cou-rou while we cross the mighty River of the Carp to build our father’s castle in the hills.
From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
