mud hen

or mud·hen

noun

any of various marsh-inhabiting birds, especially the American coot.

Origin of mud hen

First recorded in 1800–10

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

British Dictionary definitions for mud hen

mud hen

noun

any of various birds that frequent marshes or similar places, esp the coots, rails, etc

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