Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Pigeon
Pi′geon
,Noun.
1.
(Zool.)
Any bird of the order Columbæ, of which numerous species occur in nearly all parts of the world.
2.
An unsuspected victim of sharpers; a gull.
[Slang]
Blue pigeon
(Zool.)
, an Australian passerine bird (
– Graucalus melanops
); – called also black-faced crow
. Green pigeon
(Zool.)
, any one of numerous species of Old World pigeons belonging to the family
– Treronidæ
. Imperial pigeon
(Zool.)
, any one of the large Asiatic fruit pigeons of the genus
– Carpophada
. Pigeon berry
(Bot.)
, the purplish black fruit of the pokeweed; also, the plant itself. See
– Pokeweed
. Pigeon English
[perhaps a corruption of
, business English
]an extraordinary and grotesque dialect, employed in the commercial cities of China, as the medium of communication between foreign merchants and the Chinese. Its base is English, with a mixture of Portuguese and Hindustani.
Johnson’s Cyc.
– Pigeon grass
(Bot.)
, a kind of foxtail grass (
– Setaria glauca
), of some value as fodder. The seeds are eagerly eaten by pigeons and other birds. Pigeon hawk
. (Zool.)
(a)
A small American falcon (
Falco columbarius
). The adult male is dark slate-blue above, streaked with black on the back; beneath, whitish or buff, streaked with brown. The tail is banded. (b)
The American sharp-shinned hawk (
– Accipiter velox
or Accipiter fuscus
). Pigeon hole
. (a)
A hole for pigeons to enter a pigeon house
. (b)
See
Pigeonhole
. (c)
pl.
An old English game, in which balls were rolled through little arches.
Halliwell.
– Pigeon house
, a dovecote.
– Pigeon pea
(Bot.)
, the seed of
– Cajanus Indicus
; a kind of pulse used for food in the East and West Indies; also, the plant itself. Pigeon plum
(Bot.)
, the edible drupes of two West African species of
– Chrysobalanus
(Chrysobalanus ellipticus
and Chrysobalanus luteus
). Pigeon tremex
. (Zool.)
See under
– Tremex
. Pigeon wood
(Bot.)
, a name in the West Indies for the wood of several very different kinds of trees, species of
– Dipholis
, Diospyros
, and Coccoloba
. Pigeon woodpecker
(Zool.)
, the flicker.
– Prairie pigeon
. (Zool.)
(a)
The upland plover
. (b)
The golden plover.
[Local, U.S.]
Pi′geon
,Verb.
T.
To pluck; to fleece; to swindle by tricks in gambling.
[Slang]
Smart.
He's
pigeoned
and undone. Observer.
Webster 1828 Edition
Pigeon
PIG'EON
,Noun.
Definition 2024
pigeon
pigeon
English
a pigeon
Columba guinea
Columba guinea
Alternative forms
- pidgeon (chiefly archaic)
Noun
pigeon (plural pigeons)
- One of several birds of the family Columbidae, which consists of more than 300 species.
- (slang) A person who is a target or victim of a confidence game.
Synonyms
- (bird): columbid (Columbidae), columbiform (Columbiformes), culver, dove
- (person who is a target or victim of a confidence game): dupe, fish, mark, mug, sucker, rube, stiff
Derived terms
Terms derived from pigeon
Translations
bird of the pigeon and dove family Columbidae
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victim of a confidence game
See also
Verb
pigeon (third-person singular simple present pigeons, present participle pigeoning, simple past and past participle pigeoned)
- (transitive) to deceive with a confidence game
French
Etymology
From Old French pyjon, from Late Latin pīpiōnem (“chirping bird”), accusative singular of Latin pīpiō (“chirping bird”), from pīpiō (“to chirp”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /piʒɔ̃/
Noun
pigeon m (plural pigeons)
Synonyms
- colombe
- columbidé (Columbidae, columbidés)
Derived terms
Terms derived from pigeon
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Related terms
Related terms
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Anagrams
Norman
Etymology
From Old French pyjon, from Late Latin pīpiōnem (“chirping bird”), accusative singular of Latin pīpiō (“chirping bird”), from pīpiō (“to chirp”).
Noun
pigeon m (plural pigeons)
Derived terms
Terms derived from pigeon
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