pheasant

American  

[fez-uhnt] / ˈfɛz ənt /

noun

pheasants plural

1. any of numerous large, usually long-tailed, Old World gallinaceous birds of the family Phasianidae, widely introduced.

2. any of various other birds that resemble or suggest a pheasant.

3. Southern U.S. the ruffed grouse.

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pheasant British  

/ ˈfɛzənt /

noun

1. any of various long-tailed gallinaceous birds of the family Phasianidae, esp Phasianus colchicus ( ring-necked pheasant ), having a brightly-coloured plumage in the male: native to Asia but introduced elsewhere

2. any of various other gallinaceous birds of the family Phasianidae, including the quails and partridges

3. any of several other gallinaceous birds, esp the ruffed grouse

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pheasants
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pheasant

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English fesaunt, from Anglo-French; Old French fesan, from Latin phāsiānus, from Greek phāsiānós (órnis) “(bird) of the Phasis,” a river in the Caucasus

Explanation

A pheasant is a wild bird with long tail feathers. Pheasants were first introduced to North America in the 1700s, and they've become a popular game bird for hunters. Pheasants are native to Asia, but they've existed in the U.S. for about 200 years. You can easily tell if a pheasant is a male — its coloring will be bright and showy, and it may have a wattle and an extremely long tail. Females tend to be smaller, with brown and white striped feathers. The midwestern states are popular with pheasant hunters, since the birds are plentiful there.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pheasant pheasants

Schwarzman, who usually arrives by helicopter, also bought the farm next door to host pheasant and partridge shoots.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2025

And Ernest he was, writing in the morning, hiking the lush seaside overlooks in the afternoon, maybe bagging a pheasant or two with “Two-Gun” Cohen, and entertaining in the evenings at the bar.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2025

I covered Gov. Walz on his pheasant hunt last fall when he was a vice presidential candidate.

From Slate ● Jun. 17, 2025

“I’m of an age where my shotgun was in my car so I could pheasant hunt after football practice,” said Walz, explaining why he changed his views on gun control.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2024

“I suppose...” said Belby, who seemed afraid to take another bite of pheasant until he was sure that Slughorn had finished with him.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling

The organisation said that was because gamekeepers are trying to protect their grouse, pheasants and partridge - and the profits they bring.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2024

Instead, Cricket chased the pheasants while “having the time of her life.”

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 26, 2024

And many times my brother and I would have to go out and hunt for our dinner — rabbits, pheasants, squirrels and other food that we could find.

From Salon ● Dec. 21, 2023

Avian infuenza can be found in both wild and domesticated fowl, including chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, ducks and geese, and its typically spread through bird-to-bird contact, according to the state Department of Food and Agriculture.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 7, 2023

They were each reminded of that morning after their honeymoon night, when the pheasants and the yellow-headed blackbirds had adorned the road back to Alamosa.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

Related Words

• chicken
• duck
• fowl
• geese
• pigeon