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

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

"One of the guinea fowl almost went through the windscreen into Christine's face," he told BBC Sport Africa.

From BBC • Jan. 7, 2022

Everywhere it goes, it moves in swirling clouds of ox-peckers and egrets and guinea fowl.

From New York Times • Jan. 6, 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

And it would be good, she thought, to have a child, even if it was really a guinea fowl.

From "The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa" by Alexander Mccall Smith