definitions

ortolan

[ awr-tl-uh n ]
/ ˈɔr tl ən /
|

noun

an Old World bunting, Emberiza hortulana, esteemed as a table delicacy.
the bobolink.

RELATED CONTENT

Why The Turducken Is One Of The Best Word Plays Of All TimeIt's Thanksgiving time, and while some folks will be piling their plates with turkey and mashed potatoes, we can't pass on the opportunity to consider a dish named with one of the greatest portmanteaus of all time: the turducken.
READ MORE

Nearby words

orthotropism, orthotropous, orthros, ortler, ortles, ortolan, orton, orts, orumiyeh, oruro, oruss

Origin of ortolan

1520–30; < French < Provençal: literally, gardener (i.e., frequenting gardens) < Latin hortulānus, equivalent to hortul(us) little garden (hort(us) garden + -ulus -ule) + -ānus -an
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ortolan

British Dictionary definitions for ortolan

ortolan

/ (ˈɔːtələn) /

noun

Also called: ortolan bunting a brownish Old World bunting, Emberiza hortulana, regarded as a delicacy
any of various other small birds eaten as delicacies, esp the bobolink

Word Origin for ortolan

C17: via French from Latin hortulānus, from hortulus, diminutive of hortus garden
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