flamingo

[ fluh-ming-goh ]

noun

, plural fla·min·gos, fla·min·goes.

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.

flamingo

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of flamingo¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of flamingo¹

C16: from Portuguese flamengo , from Provençal flamenc , from Latin flamma flame + Germanic suffix -ing denoting descent from or membership of; compare -ing ³

Example Sentences

I had never seen flamingos in the wild and marveled at their staccato ballet, long legs emerging from a salt pond.

From Washington Post

Greater flamingos apparently aren’t fans of a sun-faded look for their neck feathers.

From Science News

That got Maria Cecilia Chiale, a biologist at Universidad Nacional de La Plata in Argentina, wondering if flamingos lose their color without constant reapplication of the serum.

From Science News

When flamingos preen, they care for their feathers a bit like how we care for our hair, cleaning out accumulated dirt and parasites.

From Science News

Unicorns, flamingos and butterflies became staples of Instagram feeds.

From Washington Post

The sex symbol and ‘Flamingo Road’ star knows more about Syria and science than you do—and she can handle herself in war zones.

From The Daily Beast

Animal prints abounded: snakeskin booties, leopard-print hot pants, zebra-printed flamingo skirts.

From The Daily Beast

Marie Osmond, who performs at the Flamingo with her brother Donny, describes what it was like trick-or-treating last Halloween.

From The Daily Beast

After a moment' pause she continued: "He told you all about the race which Flamingo lost, and about that letter."

From Project Gutenberg

I saw a flamingo rise from the river, and it flew over the Helen Mar, like a ghost, trailing its legs.

From Project Gutenberg

The legs of the flamingo are so long, that the bird is unable to double them up and sit upon his nest in the usual fashion.

From Project Gutenberg

Several species from the Solenhofen Slate have the neck long and slender, on the type of the Flamingo.

From Project Gutenberg

A venerable apologue attaches to the nesting habit of the flamingo.

From Project Gutenberg