pigeon

pigeon
1.
n.
1 any of several large usu. grey and white birds of the family Columbidae, esp. Columba livia, often domesticated and bred and trained to carry messages etc.; a dove (cf. rock-pigeon).
2 a person easily swindled; a simpleton.
Phrases and idioms:
pigeon-breast (or -chest) a deformed human chest with a projecting breastbone. pigeon-breasted (or -chested) having a pigeon-breast. pigeon-fancier a person who keeps and breeds fancy pigeons. pigeon-fancying this pursuit. pigeon-hawk = MERLIN. pigeon-hearted cowardly. pigeon-hole n.
1 each of a set of compartments in a cabinet or on a wall for papers, letters, etc.
2 a small recess for a pigeon to nest in.
—v.tr.
1 deposit (a document) in a pigeon-hole.
2 put (a matter) aside for future consideration or to forget it.
3 assign (a person or thing) to a preconceived category.
pigeon pair Brit.
1 boy and girl twins.
2 a boy and girl as sole children.
pigeon's milk
1 a secretion from the oesophagus with which pigeons feed their young.
2 an imaginary article for which children are sent on a fool's errand. pigeon-toed (of a person) having the toes turned inwards.
Derivatives:
pigeonry n. (pl. -ies).
Etymology: ME f. OF pijon f. LL pipio -onis (imit.)
2.
n.
1 = PIDGIN.
2 colloq. a particular concern, job, or business (that's not my pigeon).

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • pigeon — [ piʒɔ̃ ] n. m. • 1530; pijon XIIIe; bas lat. pipio, onis « pigeonneau » 1 ♦ Oiseau au bec grêle, aux ailes courtes (columbiformes), de couleur très variée selon les espèces (⇒ biset, colombe, 1. colombin, palombe, ramier, tourterelle); spécialt… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Pigeon — Pi geon, n. [F., fr. L. pipio a young pipping or chirping bird, fr. pipire to peep, chirp. Cf. {Peep} to chirp.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) Any bird of the order Columb[ae], of which numerous species occur in nearly all parts of the world. [1913 Webster] Note …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pigeon — PIGEON. s. m. Sorte d oiseau domestique, qui vole ordinairement par bande à la campagne. Pigeon de colombier. pigeon de voliere. pigeon privé. pigeon patu. pigeon à la grosse gorge. pigeon masle. pigeon femelle. nourrir des pigeons. eslever des… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Pigeon — ist der Name mehrerer Orte in den Vereinigten Staaten: Pigeon (Michigan) Pigeon (Pennsylvania) Pigeon (Wisconsin) Pigeon ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Amédée Pigeon (1851–1905), französischer Journalist, Kunstkritiker und… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • pigeon — Pigeon, Il vient de Pipio, par mutation du second p. en g. Pigeon ou coulon, Columbus. De Pipio, ostez le second p. il reste Piio, et de là Pijon. Pigeon ramier, Palumbes, vel Palumbus. Pigeon ramier qui a un colier, Palumbus torquatus. Oeuf de… …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • pigeon — pigeon1 [pij′ən] n. pl. pigeons or pigeon [ME pejon < MFr pijon < LL pipio (gen. pipionis), chirping bird, squab < L pipire, to chirp, of echoic orig.] 1. any of a family (Columbidae, order Columbiformes) of birds with a small head,… …   English World dictionary

  • Pigeon — Pigeon, MI U.S. village in Michigan Population (2000): 1207 Housing Units (2000): 518 Land area (2000): 0.824359 sq. miles (2.135079 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.824359 sq. miles (2.135079… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Pigeon, MI — U.S. village in Michigan Population (2000): 1207 Housing Units (2000): 518 Land area (2000): 0.824359 sq. miles (2.135079 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.824359 sq. miles (2.135079 sq. km) FIPS …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Pigeon — Nom présent un peu partout en France, mais surtout dans l Ille et Vilaine. C est un surnom lié à l oiseau (latin pipionem), difficile à interpréter. On peut certes le considérer comme un sobriquet péjoratif (= personnage naïf, crédule), mais ce… …   Noms de famille

  • pigeon — (n.) early 13c., from O.Fr. pijon young dove, probably from V.L. *pibionem, dissimilation from L.L. pipionem squab, young chirping bird (3c.), accusative of L. pipio chirping bird, from pipire to peep, chirp, of imitative origin. Modern spelling… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Pigeon — Pi geon, v. t. To pluck; to fleece; to swindle by tricks in gambling. [Slang] Smart. [1913 Webster] He s pigeoned and undone. Observer. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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