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pigeon

1
[ pij-uh n ]
/ ˈpɪdʒ ən /
SEE 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.
  1. a young, usually attractive, girl.
  2. 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.

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Origin of pigeon

1
1350–1400; Middle English pejon young dove < Middle French pijon < Late Latin pīpiōn- (stem of pīpiō) squab, akin to pīpīre, pīpāre to chirp

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH pigeon

pidgin pigeon

Words nearby pigeon

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

Definition for pigeon (2 of 2)

pigeon2
[ 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. 2020

Words related to pigeon

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

Example sentences from the Web for pigeon

British Dictionary definitions for pigeon (1 of 2)

pigeon1
/ (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)

pigeon2
/ (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.

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