dovecote

[ duhv-koht ]

/ ˈdʌvˌkoʊt /

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noun

a structure, usually at a height above the ground, for housing domestic pigeons.

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Idioms about dovecote

flutter the dovecotes, to cause a stir in a quiet or conservative institution or group: The flamboyant manner of the tourists fluttered the dovecotes of the sleepy New England town.

Also dove·cot

[duhv-kot] /ˈdʌv kɒt/ .

Origin of dovecote

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at dove¹, cote¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use dovecote in a sentence

A rough fellow with a gun was coolly standing near the great dovecot and shooting at the pigeons.
The False Chevalier|William Douw Lighthall
They would permit me to go into their dovecot, without retreating; but the dam would often oppose my taking her young ones.
The Book of Curiosities|I. Platts
The Oorya, not unanxious to play off one parasite against the other, slunk away towards the dovecot.
Kim|Rudyard Kipling
Hurree Babu come out from behind the dovecot, washing his teeth with ostentatious ritual.
Kim|Rudyard Kipling

They are essentially home-girls, family-girls, doves who cannot exist without a dovecot, however humble.
The Girl of the Period and Other Social Essays, Vol. I (of 2)|Eliza Lynn Linton

British Dictionary definitions for dovecote

dovecote

dovecot (ˈdʌvˌkɒt)

/ (ˈdʌvˌkəʊt) /

noun

a structure for housing pigeons, often raised on a pole or set on a wall, containing compartments for the birds to roost and lay eggs

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