tinamou

[ tin-uh-moo ]

/ ˈtɪn əˌmu /

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noun

any of several birds of the family Tinamidae, of South and Central America, related to the ratite birds but superficially resembling the gallinaceous birds.

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Origin of tinamou

First recorded in 1775–85; from French, from Galibi (a Carib language spoken in French Guiana) tinamu

Words nearby tinamou

timucu, Timur, tin, Tina, Tinactin, tinamou, Tinbergen, tincal, tin can, tinct, tinctorial

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tinamou in a sentence

There is something remarkable in the great tinamou which I suspect has hitherto escaped notice.
Wanderings in South America|Charles Waterton
At the close of day the great tinamou gives a loud, monotonous, plaintive whistle, and then immediately springs into the tree.
Wanderings in South America|Charles Waterton
When surprised on the open ground the Ypecaha lies close, like a Tinamou, refusing to rise until almost trodden upon.
Argentine Ornithology, Volume II (of 2)|P. L. Sclater
He was galloping over the pampas, with a very violent wind blowing in his face, when a Tinamou started up before his horse.
Argentine Ornithology, Volume II (of 2)|P. L. Sclater

The larger one is known as the rufous and the smaller one as the spotted tinamou.
The Gold Diggings of Cape Horn|John R. Spears

British Dictionary definitions for tinamou

tinamou

/ (ˈtɪnəˌmuː) /

noun

any bird of the order Tinamiformes of Central and South America, having small wings, a heavy body, and an inconspicuous plumage

Word Origin for tinamou

C18: via French from Carib (Galibi) tinamu

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