Showing results for "dove"

• past tense form of dive.
• past participle of dive.

Jump To:

• dove
  dove

  noun

  any bird of the family Columbidae, especially the smaller species with pointed tails.
• Dove
  Dove

  noun

  Arthur, 1880–1946, U.S. painter.

dove

¹ American  

[duhv] / dʌv /

noun

• doves
  plural

1. 

   any bird of the family Columbidae, especially the smaller species with pointed tails.

2. a pure white member of this species, used as a symbol of innocence, gentleness, tenderness, and peace.

3. Dove, a symbol for the Holy Ghost.

4. an innocent, gentle, or tender person.

5. Also called peace dove. a person, especially one in public office, who advocates peace, compromise, or a conciliatory national attitude.

6. dove color.

7. Economics. an official or advisor who advocates low interest rates or other monetary policies aimed at reducing unemployment and promoting economic growth.

8. Astronomy. Dove, the constellation Columba.

---

dove ² American  

[dohv] / doʊv /

verb

1. a simple past tense of dive.

---

Dove ³ American  

[duhv] / dʌv /

noun

1. Arthur, 1880–1946, U.S. painter.

2. Rita, born 1952, U.S. poet and educator: U.S. poet laureate 1993.

---

dove ¹ British  

/ dʌv /

noun

1. 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

2. politics a person opposed to war Compare hawk 1

3. a gentle or innocent person: used as a term of endearment

4. 1. a greyish-brown colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      dove walls

---

Dove ² British  

/ dʌv /

noun

1. Christianity a manifestation of the Holy Spirit (John 1:32)

---

dove ³ British  

/ dəʊv /

verb

1. a past tense of dive

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dovelike
  adjective
• dovish
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• doves
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dove

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”

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dove Dove doves

California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton dove deep into his housing platform and lobbed a few attacks at his Democratic opponent, Xavier Becerra, during a town hall with Los Angeles news outlets Tuesday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

It dove out of the bottom of the strikezone, and Baldwin swung through it, ending the inning on a strikeout.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

Instead, he liked to tell the story of an expert dove hunter who was asked one day if he shot with one or both eyes open.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

When he was a teenager, Walters remembers, he dove into some catfish holes so vast he couldn’t find the back.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

The Deanes, who had gained a measure of fame for having invented one of the earliest diving helmets, dove down and came upon the long-sunken Mary Rose.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

She’s been paired in shows with artists including Arthur Dove, Henry Moore and Ansel Adams, and examined as an avatar of a stylish personal aesthetic and independent lifestyle.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Dove and La Roche-Posay peddle samples of antiperspirant and sunscreen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

Galway indie-folk musician Thomas O'Donogue only started releasing music under the name Dove Ellis last year, but his soaring vocals immediately sparked a record label bidding war.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

The presence of so many stalwarts largely squeezes out fresh talent, but the mysterious Irish newcomer Dove Ellis stands out as a potential winner, for the otherworldly beauty of his debut album, Blizzard.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

He could have easily made friends with stupid Dove, for Dove was lonely and admired Johnny as well as envied him.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes

"There are still small numbers of turtle doves living in the national park and we hope that careful releases like this can help create a new and much-needed South Downs stronghold," Bushell said.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

The bird may also have depended more heavily on smell than modern pigeons and doves.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

The changing picture is nevertheless likely to make for tense discussions among the ECB's "hawks", who favour rate hikes, and the "doves", who advocate looser policy.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

Central bank watchers like to categorize board members as hawks or doves.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026

From time to time, green doves and spotted Tenner’s squirrels sipped at the fountain.

From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate

Related Words

• drab
• dusty
• silvery