dovecote

American  

[duhv-koht] / ˈdʌvˌkoʊt /

Also dovecot

noun

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

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idioms

1. 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.

dovecote British  

/ ˈdʌvˌkɒt, ˈdʌvˌkəʊt /

noun

1. 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

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Etymology

Origin of dovecote

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; dove ¹, cote ¹

Example Sentences

The petitioner suggests repurposing a building at nearby Chapelfield Gardens as a dovecote and source of food, in the hope it diverts pigeons away from the market.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2025

“It was a white dovecote box that had a childlike mystery about it,” he said.

From New York Times • Jan. 15, 2024

In one farmyard, a man eagerly showed how he had repaired his smashed chicken coop and dovecote with patches of wire mesh.

From Washington Post • Mar. 3, 2023

It was eleven stories with a multitude of single rooms, very much like a dovecote, or, as everyone eventually suggested, a columbarium.

From The New Yorker • Dec. 3, 2018

I leaned back in the chair, fighting the urge to smile like a tomcat in a dovecote.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss