Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for pigeon

pigeon

1

[ pij-uhn ]

noun

  1. any bird of the family Columbidae, having a compact body and short legs, especially the larger species with square or rounded tails. Compare dove 1( def 1 ).
  2. a domesticated member of this family, as one of the varieties of the rock dove.
  3. Slang.
    1. a young, usually attractive, girl.
    2. a person who is easily fooled or cheated; dupe.
  4. Poker Slang. a card, acquired in the draw, that greatly improves a hand or makes it a winner.


pigeon

2

[ pij-uhn ]

noun

  1. (not in technical use) pidgin; pidgin English.

pigeon

1

/ ˈpɪdʒɪn /

noun

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


pigeon

2

/ ˈpɪdʒɪn /

noun

  1. any of numerous birds of the family Columbidae, having a heavy body, small head, short legs, and long pointed wings: order Columbiformes See rock dove
  2. slang.
    a victim or dupe
“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
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of pigeon1

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of pigeon1

C19: altered from pidgin

Origin of pigeon2

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

Idioms and Phrases

see clay pigeon ; stool pigeon .
Discover More

Example Sentences

Two centuries ago, anyone who wrote an ill-advised post or sent a “bad tweet” would have had to out-gallop a Pony Express rider or figure out how to trap a very determined pigeon.

Use high-quality bird seed — not bread, even for ducks and pigeons — tailored to the species you want to tempt.

The passenger pigeon was once the most abundant bird in North America — maybe even on the planet.

Around the same time, Varahn noticed that the woman who fed the pigeons had also disappeared.

I like my pigeons and my fancy clothes, but other than that, I don’t want anything.

Instead she played herself out, pigeon-holing herself into the very kind of characters she criticized Apatow for writing.

Wood pigeon, pheasant, partridge, grouse, peacocks, hares, wild rabbits, and waterfowl are all dietary staples.

One of the first stories I ever did for The Times Magazine was about pigeon control “Pigeon Wars.”

For her inaugural menu, she planned crayfish with mayonnaise, pigeon with peas, and an apple brioche flambéed in rum.

Another notable region is nicknamed “Pigeon Valley” for the thousands of bird nesting holes dug into the pliable rock.

The "pigeon house" stood behind a locked gate, and a shallow parterre that had been somewhat neglected.

After she was far away she looked back and saw a pigeon resting on the shoulder of the statue.

Again he accompanied her back to her home; and it was after dusk when they reached the little "pigeon-house."

And Fleetfoot played with Pigeon, and he showed her how to lift hot stones without getting burned.

Pigeon screamed again, but a hearty laugh from Chew-chew showed there was nothing to fear.

Advertisement

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


pig dogpigeon blood