guinea fowl

American  

Or guineafowl

noun

• guinea fowls
  plural

1. any of several African, gallinaceous birds of the subfamily Numidinae, especially a common species, Numida meleagris, that has a bony casque on the head and dark gray plumage spotted with white and that is now domesticated and raised for its flesh and eggs.

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guinea fowl British  

noun

1. any gallinaceous bird, esp Numida meleagris, of the family Numididae of Africa and SW Asia, having a dark plumage mottled with white, a naked head and neck, and a heavy rounded body

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• guinea fowls
  plural

Etymology

Origin of guinea fowl

First recorded in 1645–55; see also turkey ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

guinea fowl

We also learn more about guinea fowl than ever imagined, including how the plump species warns the rest of the herd of danger.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2024

Botha says Mboma was lucky not to have suffered any damage to her eyesight after the car's windscreen was smashed by a flock of guinea fowl, peppering the athlete with shards of glass.

From BBC ● Jan. 7, 2022

A new soup fuses the styles: Sea Island white rice and red peas, cooked in guinea fowl stock and enriched with fresh black truffles.

From New York Times ● May 25, 2021

In addition to sharks darting about, there are colorful clown triggerfish, emperor angelfish, guinea fowl puffers and more than 3,000 pieces of coral.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 24, 2020

Slowly, the guinea fowl approached the cook-fire, which was now only a drift of ashes.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer