peafowl

[ pee-foul ]

noun

, plural pea·fowls, (especially collectively) pea·fowl.

1. any of several gallinaceous birds of the genera Pavo, of India, Sri Lanka, southeastern Asia, and the East Indies, and Afropavo, of Africa.

peafowl

/ ˈpiːˌfaʊl /

noun

1. See peacock
   either of two large pheasants, Pavo cristatus ( blue peafowl ) of India and Ceylon and P. muticus ( green peafowl ) of SE Asia. The males (peacocks) have a characteristic bright plumage See peacock
2. a rare closely related African species, Afropavo congensis ( Congo peafowl ), both sexes of which are brightly coloured

Word History and Origins

Origin of peafowl¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; pea ( peacock ) + fowl

Example Sentences

The Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) usually lay their large white eggs on the ground in long grass or thick undergrowth.

From Project Gutenberg

But there were many different kinds—not alone of hens and roosters; for there were peafowl, and guineas, and ducks, and turkeys.

From Project Gutenberg

The peafowl is smaller, slenderer, and more graceful than the turkey, and is a little more agile in motion.

From Project Gutenberg

The methods of managing turkeys apply at nearly every point to the management of peafowl.

From Project Gutenberg

The scarcity of peafowl is not due wholly to the expense of procuring them or to the difficulty of rearing them.

From Project Gutenberg