whydah

or whid·ah

[ hwid-uh, wid-uh ]

/ ˈʰwɪd ə, ˈwɪd ə /

noun

any of several small African finches of the subfamily Viduinae, the males of which have elongated, drooping tail feathers during the breeding season.

any of several African weaverbirds of the genus Euplectes, the males of which have similar long tails.

Nearby words

why, why'll, why're, why's, whyalla, whydah, whydunnit, whys and wherefores, whyte classification, wi, wi-fi

Origin of whydah

1775–85; alteration of widow (bird) to make name agree with that of a town in Benin, West Africa, one of its haunts

Also called widow bird.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for whydah

Residents at Whydah do not commonly explore the bush, but he was young and enterprising.
The Woodlands Orchids|Frederick Boyle
Travelers have brought back accounts of the curious serpent house at Whydah.
The World and Its People: Book VII|Anna B. Badlam
The old slave traders at Whydah have generally gone into the palm oil trade, and are carrying it on to a very great extent.
The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom|P. L. Simmonds
He became the richest trader in Whydah, a special favourite with the natives.
The Woodlands Orchids|Frederick Boyle

Receiving many calls for help, and finding the trade of the whole coast disturbed, the Swallow sailed for Whydah.
The Monarchs of the Main, Volume III (of 3)|Walter Thornbury

British Dictionary definitions for whydah

whydah

whidah

/ (ˈwɪdə) /

noun

any of various predominantly black African weaverbirds of the genus Vidua and related genera, the males of which grow very long tail feathers in the breeding seasonAlso called: whydah bird, whidah bird, widow bird

Word Origin for whydah

C18: after the name of a town in Benin

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