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king rail

American  

noun

  1. a large, long-billed rail, Rallus elegans, of North America, having reddish-brown plumage.


Etymology

Origin of king rail

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

He hauled the prize into the boat, and sure enough, it was a novelty,—a king rail, new to both of us.

From A Florida Sketch-Book by Torrey, Bradford

One bird study I handed her was of a brooding king rail, over a foot tall, with a three-foot wing sweep, and a long curved bill.

From Moths of the Limberlost by Stratton-Porter, Gene

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