ptarmigan
Americannoun
plural
ptarmigans,plural
ptarmigannoun
-
any of several arctic and subarctic grouse of the genus Lagopus, esp L. mutus, which has a white winter plumage
-
(sometimes capital) a created domestic fancy pigeon with ruffled or curled feathers on the wings and back
Etymology
Origin of ptarmigan
1590–1600; pseudo-Greek spelling of Scots Gaelic tarmarchan, akin to Irish tarmanach
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The white-tailed ptarmigan is the smallest bird in the grouse family, typically growing no longer than 12 inches.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 23, 2023
Scotland is home to Arctic specialists - birds like dotterel, snow bunting and ptarmigan - which are found high on Scotland's mountains.
From BBC • Sep. 25, 2022
Until the start of the 19th century, the ptarmigan could be found across a wide swathe of northern Britain, south to the Lake District; but today it survives only in the Highlands.
From The Guardian • Jan. 2, 2020
On a recent afternoon, he netted seven ptarmigan and hung the birds outside his front door, their bodies displaying white winter coats.
From Washington Post • Dec. 12, 2019
After making camp Miyax and Kapu went out to snare ptarmigan and rabbits.
From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George
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.
