dovecote

[duhv-koht]

noun

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

Nearby words

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

They may be accustomed to the dovecot, but their showy plumage often occasions them to fall a prey to carnivorous birds.
The Natural History of Cage Birds|J. M. Bechstein
Like frighted pigeons when the vulture darts upon the dovecot.
Fiesco or, The Genoese Conspiracy|Friedrich Schiller
When they arrive they perch at the window of the dovecot, where their mates and young await them.
Poachers and Poaching|John Watson
So our industrial teacher decided to move the dovecot bodily to another place.
A Woman's Impression of the Philippines|Mary H. (Mary Helen) Fee

It was Jack's call at feeding-time to the pigeons at the Dovecot.
Jackanapes, Daddy Darwin's Dovecot and Other Stories|Juliana Horatio Ewing

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.