kingfisher

[ king-fish-er ]

/ ˈkɪŋˌfɪʃ ər /

noun

any of numerous fish- or insect-eating birds of the family Alcedinidae that have a large head and a long, stout bill and are usually crested and brilliantly colored.

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Origin of kingfisher

1400–50; king + fisher; replacing king's fisher, late Middle English kinges fisher

Words nearby kingfisher

kingdom come, kingdom for a horse!, my, kingdom hall, kingdom of ends, kingfish, kingfisher, kingfisher daisy, kinghood, kingklip, kinglake, kinglet

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for kingfisher

For The Kingfisher River Bank, Potter killed a whole family of kingfishers (and seized seven of their eggs).
Dead and Beautiful: The Art of Taxidermy|William O’Connor|April 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There is a very old fable about the kingfisher, who was called the halcyon.
The Children's Book of Birds|Olive Thorne Miller
And the Kingfisher shook his head gravely, and looked into the water.
Little Folks|Various
Look at those coasting vessels and native boats; both are built in the likeness of the sea bird "sat," a kind of kingfisher.
From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan|Helena Pretrovna Blavatsky

A railing extends along the side of the wharf, and upon this railing the kingfisher perches, watching for his prey.
St. Nicholas, Vol. 5, No. 4, February 1878|Various
The kingfisher makes its nest of the bones of the fish which it has eaten.
Contributions to the Theory of Natural Selection|Alfred Russel Wallace

British Dictionary definitions for kingfisher

kingfisher

/ (ˈkɪŋˌfɪʃə) /

noun

any coraciiform bird of the family Alcedinidae, esp the Eurasian Alcedo atthis, which has a greenish-blue and orange plumage. Kingfishers have a large head, short tail, and long sharp bill and tend to live near open water and feed on fish

Word Origin for kingfisher

C15: originally king's fisher

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012