mourning dove

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noun

a dove, Zenaidura macroura, of North America, noted for its plaintive cooing.

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Origin of mourning dove

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Words nearby mourning dove

mournful, mourning, mourning band, Mourning Becomes Electra, mourning cloak, mourning dove, mourning iris, mourning warbler, mouse, mousebird, mouse deer

How to use mourning dove in a sentence

He said that the NYPD will be in deepest mourning this Christmas season.
Two Cops ‘Assassinated’ in Brooklyn|Michael Daly|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The late-November hacking of Sony, perhaps the most vicious episode of its kind, comes at the end of the period of mourning.
Kim Jong Un’s Kid Gloves Are Now Off|Gordon G. Chang|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now that the Confucian-inspired mourning period is over, the son is free to embark on his own programs and policies.
Kim Jong Un’s Kid Gloves Are Now Off|Gordon G. Chang|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Soon after Abu Ein died, the Palestinian Authority announced three days of mourning.
Palestinian Cabinet Member Dies in Confrontation with Israeli Soldier|Creede Newton|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

A Fish and Wildlife special agent collected the bodies of two birds at the site, a redhead duck and a mourning dove.
Two Texas Regulators Tried to Enforce the Rules. They Were Fired.|David Hasemyer, InsideClimate News|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The farewell and the mourning are finished by the slaughter of dogs, that the dying man may have forerunners in the other world.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
I am thankful that prolonged mourning is out of date; it made a fright of me and was getting on my nerves.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
Indeed, it made me understand for the first time that even a Bank Holiday need not be a day of wrath and mourning.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens
Looking through this hole, the king perceived an old man weeping, a man in mourning garb singing, and a nun or widow dancing.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike
Then through a hole in the door I saw an old man crying, a dancing nun, and a man in mourning singing.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike

British Dictionary definitions for mourning dove

mourning dove

noun

a brown North American dove, Zenaidura macroura, with a plaintive song

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