any bird of the family Columbidae, especially the smaller species with pointed tails.
a pure white member of this species, used as a symbol of innocence, gentleness, tenderness, and peace.
Dove, a symbol for the Holy Ghost.
an innocent, gentle, or tender person.
Also called peace dove. a person, especially one in public office, who advocates peace, compromise, or a conciliatory national attitude.
Economics. an official or advisor who advocates low interest rates or other monetary policies aimed at reducing unemployment and promoting economic growth.
Astronomy. Dove, the constellation Columba.
Arthur, 1880–1946, U.S. painter.
Rita, born 1952, U.S. poet and educator: U.S. poet laureate 1993.
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
politics a person opposed to war Compare hawk 1
a gentle or innocent person: used as a term of endearment
a greyish-brown colour
( as adjective )
dove walls
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”
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.
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A survey of the Blean will focus on six endangered species that are found there, including the the heath fritillary butterfly, one of the UK's rarest, and the turtle dove.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Warsh may be more of a dove on rates than he appears at first glance.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
Instead of letting the lanky, nearly 7-foot Durant corral the loose ball, the 6-foot-3 Smart dove to secure it for himself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
We drove on, and Dantzler told stories of dove hunts in the grove, of outsize characters of the old citrus elite.
From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026
Ivan didn’t say anything to them as he dove for the food, cramming meat patties, boiled eggs, and fried, flat cakes into his mouth.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
Dove is the bound-foot daughter of an imperial scholar who came to the city to become one of the locked-away wives of a decades-older merchant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
That leaves Unilever to focus on brands including Dove personal-care products, Nexxus shampoos and Olly vitamins.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
For this is a charity shop run by Dove House – a Hull-based hospice – and staff here have been collecting and storing the "new but used" dresses ready for "the right time".
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026
Bloom, who shares a daughter, Daisy Dove, with Perry, later broke his silence on their separation, telling “Today” host Craig Melvin during a September interview that everything between them is “great.”
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 23, 2026
Just outside the Dove Canyon gate is a fountain.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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
Senior members of Fed who are seen as doves, all else being equal, tend to favor lower interest rates and worry less about inflation than members viewed as hawks.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 3, 2026
Iran doves, Iran hawks, Israelis, Qataris, Russians, Chinese, Europeans, Turks—operators are standing by to take your call.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026
Classified as extinct in the wild, there are only 180 Socorro doves left globally, cared for by fewer than 50 conservation institutions.
From BBC ● Jan. 6, 2026
Still, she regularly caught francolins and doves, and she was able to snare smaller birds in the lime traps.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
