pheasant

American  

[fez-uhnt] / ˈfɛz ənt /

noun

• pheasants
  plural

1. any of numerous large, usually long-tailed, Old World gallinaceous birds of the family Phasianidae, widely introduced.

2. any of various other birds that resemble or suggest a pheasant.

3. Southern U.S. the ruffed grouse.

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pheasant British  

/ ˈfɛzənt /

noun

1. any of various long-tailed gallinaceous birds of the family Phasianidae, esp Phasianus colchicus ( ring-necked pheasant ), having a brightly-coloured plumage in the male: native to Asia but introduced elsewhere

2. any of various other gallinaceous birds of the family Phasianidae, including the quails and partridges

3. any of several other gallinaceous birds, esp the ruffed grouse

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pheasants
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of pheasant

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English fesaunt, from Anglo-French; Old French fesan, from Latin phāsiānus, from Greek phāsiānós (órnis) “(bird) of the Phasis,” a river in the Caucasus

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Explanation

A pheasant is a wild bird with long tail feathers. Pheasants were first introduced to North America in the 1700s, and they've become a popular game bird for hunters. Pheasants are native to Asia, but they've existed in the U.S. for about 200 years. You can easily tell if a pheasant is a male — its coloring will be bright and showy, and it may have a wattle and an extremely long tail. Females tend to be smaller, with brown and white striped feathers. The midwestern states are popular with pheasant hunters, since the birds are plentiful there.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pheasant pheasants

In theory she is dressed for pheasant shooting on the hills of the castle estate but in practice it is all in the name of fashion.

From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026

Schwarzman, who usually arrives by helicopter, also bought the farm next door to host pheasant and partridge shoots.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2025

And Ernest he was, writing in the morning, hiking the lush seaside overlooks in the afternoon, maybe bagging a pheasant or two with “Two-Gun” Cohen, and entertaining in the evenings at the bar.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2025

I covered Gov. Walz on his pheasant hunt last fall when he was a vice presidential candidate.

From Slate ● Jun. 17, 2025

He cried when his dad took him pheasant hunting.

From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell

Helen and Will Jones rear pheasants and run shoots from their farm near Hirnant, Powys, and worry the proposals would mark the start of a clampdown on shooting.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2025

Instead, Cricket chased the pheasants while “having the time of her life.”

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 26, 2024

And many times my brother and I would have to go out and hunt for our dinner — rabbits, pheasants, squirrels and other food that we could find.

From Salon ● Dec. 21, 2023

Others, however, like those from pheasants and macaws, are still being held.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2023

“I am a farmer of wild foods—wild rabbits and pheasants, wild cattails and hickory nuts and walnuts.”

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

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