pigeon

[pij-uh n]

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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.

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 confusedpidgin pigeon

pigeon

[pij-uh n]

noun

(not in technical use) pidgin; pidgin English.

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

Related Words for pigeon

unarmed, helpless, unprotected, doormat, dupe, puppet, stooge, patsy, pawn, lackey, victim, mark, martyr, fatality, casualty, sufferer, fowl, duck, chicken, geese

Examples from the Web for pigeon

Contemporary Examples of 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
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
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
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
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

Historical Examples of pigeon

This, however, was before I had brought the Pigeon Charmer into the car.
The Underdog
F. Hopkinson Smith
Pies may be made of any of these birds in the same manner as a pigeon pie.
Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches
Eliza Leslie
She is not so infallible a markswoman, but that she might shoot at a crow and kill a pigeon.
Maid Marian
Thomas Love Peacock
Do you follow gently, and if there be a pigeon in the pot in all Germany.
Vivian Grey
Earl of Beaconsfield, Benjamin Disraeli
The figure represents the back of the pigeon; and the direction of the knife is in the line c, b, by a, if done the last way.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton

British Dictionary definitions for pigeon

pigeon

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

pigeon

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

Word Origin and History for pigeon

late 14c. (early 13c. as a surname), from Old French pigeon "young dove" (13c.), probably from Vulgar Latin *pibionem, dissimilation from Late Latin pipionem (nominative pipio) "squab, young chirping bird" (3c.), from pipire "to peep, chirp," of imitative origin. Meaning "one easily duped" is from 1590s. Replaced culver (Old English culufre, from Vulgar Latin *columbra, from Latin columbula) and native dove.

Idioms and Phrases with pigeon

pigeon

see clay pigeon; stool pigeon.