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tinamou

[ tin-uh-moo ]
/ ˈtɪn əˌmu /

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. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for tinamou

  • 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 martinette (tinamou), a sort of intermediary between the partridge and the pheasant, is the best of the Pampas game.

    South America To-day|Georges Clemenceau

  • 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

  • Another bird sure to interest the sportsman is the Patagonian prairie chicken known as the 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