Word Study
galling |
gallinipper |
gallinula |
gallinula chloropus |
gallinula chloropus cachinnans |
gallinule
| galliot
| gallipoli oil
| gallipot
| gallirallus
| gallium
gallinule
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Noun gallinule has 1 sense
- gallinule(n = noun.animal) marsh hen, swamphen, water hen - any of various small aquatic birds of the genus Gallinula distinguished from rails by a frontal shield and a resemblance to domestic hens; Array is a kind of aquatic bird
is a member of gallinula, genus gallinula
has particulars: florida gallinule, gallinula chloropus cachinnans, gallinula chloropus, moorhen, purple gallinule
CIDE DICTIONARY
gallinule, n. [L. gallinula chicken, dim. of gallina hen: cf. F. gallinule.].
One of several wading birds, having long, webless toes, and a frontal shield, belonging to the family Rallidae . They are remarkable for running rapidly over marshes and on floating plants. The purple gallinule of America is Ionornis Martinica , that of the Old World is Porphyrio porphyrio . The common European gallinule (Gallinula chloropus ) is also called moor hen , water hen , water rail , moor coot , night bird , and erroneously dabchick . Closely related to it is the Florida gallinule (Gallinula galeata ). [1913 Webster]
" The purple gallinule of Southern Europe and Asia was formerly believed to be able to detect and report adultery, and for that reason, chiefly, it was commonly domesticated by the ancients."
[1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
gallinule, n.
1 a moorhen.
2 any of various similar birds of the genus Porphyrula or Porphyrio.
1 a moorhen.
2 any of various similar birds of the genus Porphyrula or Porphyrio.
Etymology
mod.L gallinula, dimin. of L gallina hen f. gallus cock
For further exploring for "gallinule" in Webster Dictionary Online
