flamingo

American  

[fluh-ming-goh] / fləˈmɪŋ goʊ /

noun

plural

flamingos, flamingoes

1. any of several aquatic birds of the family Phoenicopteridae, having very long legs and neck, webbed feet, a bill bent downward at the tip, and pinkish to scarlet plumage.

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flamingo British  

/ fləˈmɪŋɡəʊ /

noun

1. any large wading bird of the family Phoenicopteridae , having a pink-and-red plumage and downward-bent bill and inhabiting brackish lakes: order Ciconiiformes

2. 1. a reddish-orange colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      flamingo gloves

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Etymology

Origin of flamingo

1555–65; compare Portuguese flamengo, Spanish flamenco literally, Fleming ( flamenco ); apparently originally a jocular name, from the conventional Romance image of the Flemish as ruddy-complexioned

Explanation

A flamingo is a large, long-necked pink bird that often stands on one leg. Florida is one of the few places in the U.S. to see flamingos, aside from zoos. Though very few real flamingos are native to North America, you can spot the pink plastic lawn ornament version in front yards from California to Maine. These distinctive birds get their coloring from their food, and when flamingos in zoos aren't fed shrimp, their feathers fade to a white shade, rather than salmon pink. Flamingo is derived from the Spanish flamengo, "flame-colored."

Example Sentences

Missing Cornwall flamingo appears to be living her best life in France.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 11, 2025

Mr Reynolds added it had been a "really difficult" week since the flamingo went missing but seeing the new photographs had been "lovely".

From BBC • Nov. 10, 2025

“It was really rough for everybody,” said Gibbons, the flamingo keeper, who grew up in the Outer Sunset neighborhood and climbed the ranks through the zoo’s youth volunteer program.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 18, 2025

Molting peacocks squawked in the distance and a Pacific breeze whispered through the eucalyptus as flamingo keeper Liz Gibbons tidied her station at the San Francisco Zoo.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 18, 2025

Something about the way he moves reminds me of a flamingo.

From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez