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whydah

or whid·ah

[hwid-uh, wid-uh]
noun
  1. any of several small African finches of the subfamily Viduinae, the males of which have elongated, drooping tail feathers during the breeding season.
  2. any of several African weaverbirds of the genus Euplectes, the males of which have similar long tails.
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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. 2018

Examples from the Web for whydah

Historical Examples

  • And the story I have to tell places it at Whydah, between the two.

    The Woodlands Orchids

    Frederick Boyle

  • He became the richest trader in Whydah, a special favourite with the natives.

    The Woodlands Orchids

    Frederick Boyle

  • It should be noted, however, that their size generally exceeds that of the largest serpents which Dr. Rpin saw at Whydah.

    The Desert World

    Arthur Mangin

  • Residents at Whydah do not commonly explore the bush, but he was young and enterprising.

    The Woodlands Orchids

    Frederick Boyle

  • All the Europeans in Whydah were there, with the Viceroy himself, and the head fetich man.

    The Woodlands Orchids

    Frederick Boyle

British Dictionary definitions for whydah

whydah

whidah

noun
  1. 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
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Word Origin

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