dovecote

[duhv-koht]

noun

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

Idioms

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for dovecot

Historical Examples of dovecot

Like frighted pigeons when the vulture darts upon the dovecot.
Fiesco or, The Genoese Conspiracy
Friedrich Schiller
She didn't know what to do with her dovecot—nobody wanted it—so she's given it to me.
The Limit
Ada Leverson
The fans were now all agitation; 'twas like a flutter in a dovecot.
The Lady of Lynn
Walter Besant
When they arrive they perch at the window of the dovecot, where their mates and young await them.
Poachers and Poaching
John Watson
Even the rabbit hutches were stone, and the dovecot and the cuddy for the fowls.
The Glory of The Coming
Irvin S. Cobb

British Dictionary definitions for dovecot

dovecote

dovecot (ˈdʌvˌkɒt)

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

Word Origin and History for dovecot

dovecote

early 15c., from dove (n.) + cote.