pigeon
1any 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
1Words that may be confused with pigeon
- pidgin, pigeon
Words Nearby pigeon
Other definitions for pigeon (2 of 2)
(not in technical use) pidgin; pidgin English.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use pigeon in a sentence
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.
How to save important photos and video from the web | John Kennedy | January 19, 2021 | Popular-ScienceUse high-quality bird seed — not bread, even for ducks and pigeons — tailored to the species you want to tempt.
A concise guide to birding in your own backyard | Erin E. Williams | December 11, 2020 | Washington PostThe passenger pigeon was once the most abundant bird in North America — maybe even on the planet.
Around the world, birds are in crisis | Alison Pearce Stevens | December 3, 2020 | Science News For StudentsAround the same time, Varahn noticed that the woman who fed the pigeons had also disappeared.
“We Don’t Even Know Who Is Dead or Alive”: Trapped Inside an Assisted Living Facility During the Pandemic | by Ava Kofman | November 30, 2020 | ProPublicaI like my pigeons and my fancy clothes, but other than that, I don’t want anything.
Mike Tyson fought for the first time in 15 years. So much had changed. | Gene Wang | November 29, 2020 | Washington Post
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.”
Mississippi Hippos, Teddy Bears, and Other Strange Beasts | Scott Porch | July 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTFor 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 Secret Life of Cappadocia: Underground in the Turkish Rock Formations | Nina Strochlic | August 22, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTThe "pigeon house" stood behind a locked gate, and a shallow parterre that had been somewhat neglected.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories | Kate ChopinAfter she was far away she looked back and saw a pigeon resting on the shoulder of the statue.
Honey-Bee | Anatole FranceAgain he accompanied her back to her home; and it was after dusk when they reached the little "pigeon-house."
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories | Kate ChopinAnd Fleetfoot played with pigeon, and he showed her how to lift hot stones without getting burned.
The Later Cave-Men | Katharine Elizabeth Dopppigeon screamed again, but a hearty laugh from Chew-chew showed there was nothing to fear.
The Later Cave-Men | Katharine Elizabeth Dopp
British Dictionary definitions for pigeon (1 of 2)
/ (ˈpɪdʒɪn) /
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
slang a victim or dupe
Origin of pigeon
1British Dictionary definitions for pigeon (2 of 2)
/ (ˈpɪdʒɪn) /
British informal concern or responsibility (often in the phrase it's his, her, etc, pigeon)
Origin of pigeon
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with 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.
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