pigeon

[ pij-uh n ]

/ ˈpɪdʒ ən /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pigeon ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any bird of the family Columbidae, having a compact body and short legs, especially the larger species with square or rounded tails.Compare dove¹(def 1).

a domesticated member of this family, as one of the varieties of the rock dove.

Slang.

a young, usually attractive, girl.
a person who is easily fooled or cheated; dupe.

Poker Slang. a card, acquired in the draw, that greatly improves a hand or makes it a winner.

Nearby words

pig-out, pig-root, pig-tailed macaque, pigalle, pigboat, pigeon, pigeon blood, pigeon breast, pigeon drop, pigeon guillemot, pigeon hawk

Origin of pigeon

1350–1400; Middle English pejon young dove < Middle French pijon < Late Latin pīpiōn- (stem of pīpiō) squab, akin to pīpīre, pīpāre to chirp

Can be confused

pidgin pigeon

Definition for pigeon (2 of 2)

pigeon

[ pij-uh n ]

/ ˈpɪdʒ ən /

noun

(not in technical use) pidgin; pidgin English.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for pigeon

One of the first stories I ever did for The Times Magazine was about pigeon control “Pigeon Wars.”
Mississippi Hippos, Teddy Bears, and Other Strange Beasts|Scott Porch|July 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For her inaugural menu, she planned crayfish with mayonnaise, pigeon with peas, and an apple brioche flambéed in rum.
The Queen of the French Kitchen|Katie Baker|March 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Another notable region is nicknamed “Pigeon Valley” for the thousands of bird nesting holes dug into the pliable rock.
The Secret Life of Cappadocia: Underground in the Turkish Rock Formations|Nina Strochlic|August 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The Queen, who has a pigeon loft with about 250 birds, is patron of the Royal Pigeon Racing Association (RPRA).
PETA Calls On Queen To Abandon Pigeon Racing|Tom Sykes|April 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST

The Saudis were salivating for North American birds, and Mr. Galbraith's Pigeon King enterprise would satisfy the hunger.
Why Smart People Are Dumb|Morley Safer|February 11, 2010|DAILY BEAST
So now, instead of running about amongst my red-legged brethren, as a pigeon ought, I am obliged to hop like a sparrow.
The Bird and Insects' Post Office|Robert Bloomfield
I went out before breakfast this morning, half asleep—and saw what I thought was a red breasted woodpecker as big as a pigeon!
Hortus Inclusus|John Ruskin
I cannot say at what age I made my first kites, but I remember how my comrades used to tease me at our game of "Pigeon flies!"
My Airships|Alberto Santos-Dumont
There he sat on his old bus-horse, pouting like a pigeon, and studying his wonderful shadow on the ground.
John Brown|Captain R. W. Campbell
"Pigeon milk" is injected into their open throats by the parent birds, in whose stomachs it has been manufactured.
The Library of Work and Play: Outdoor Work|Mary Rogers Miller

British Dictionary definitions for pigeon (1 of 2)

pigeon

/ (ˈpɪdʒɪn) /

noun

any of numerous birds of the family Columbidae, having a heavy body, small head, short legs, and long pointed wings: order ColumbiformesSee rock dove

slang a victim or dupe

Word Origin for pigeon

C14: from Old French pijon young dove, from Late Latin pīpiō young bird, from pīpīre to chirp

British Dictionary definitions for pigeon (2 of 2)

pigeon

/ (ˈpɪdʒɪn) /

noun

British informal concern or responsibility (often in the phrase it's his, her, etc, pigeon)

Word Origin for pigeon

C19: altered from pidgin

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

Idioms and Phrases with pigeon

pigeon

see clay pigeon; stool pigeon.