pigeon
nounverbnouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈpɪ.dʒɪn//
- United Kingdom//ˈpɪ.dʒən//
- New Zealand//ˈpə.dʒən//
One of several birds of the family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes.
noun
- 1
One of several birds of the family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes.
- 2
The meat from this bird.
- 3
informalA person who is a target or victim of a confidence game.
- 4
A pacifist, appeaser, an isolationist, a dove.
- 5
A person hired to transport film footage out of a region where transport options are limited.
Kalb rushed to the airport and found a "pigeon" to take out the film: an American woman headed for London.
- 6
slangA weak or useless person.
Etymology
Etymology tree Latin pīpiō Proto-Indo-European *-ōder. Proto-Indo-European *-Hōder.? Latin -ō Latin pipio Old French pyjonbor. Middle English pygeoun English pigeon Inherited from Middle English pygeoun, borrowed from Old French pyjon, inherited from Late Latin pīpiōnem (“chirping bird”), derived from Latin pīpiāre (“to chirp”), of imitative origin. Partly displaced native English dove.
verb
- 1
To deceive with a confidence game.
noun
- 1
archaicConcern or responsibility.
It's their pigeon.
Etymology
From pidgin English, from a Chinese Pidgin English pronunciation of English business during trade in the Far East. See pidgin.
Forms
- plural
- pigeons
- past tense
- pigeoned
- past participle
- pigeoned
- present participle
- pigeoning
- third person singular
- pigeons
pigeon · One of several birds of the family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes.
Pigeon · A surname.piggy · A pig (the animal).piglet · A young swine, one not yet mature.