Word Study
pheasant
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Noun pheasant has 2 senses
- pheasant(n = noun.animal) Array - large long-tailed gallinaceous bird native to the Old World but introduced elsewhere; Array is a kind of phasianid
- pheasant(n = noun.food) Array - flesh of a pheasant; usually braised; Array is a part of phasianus colchicus, ring-necked pheasant
is a member of genus phasianus, phasianus
has particulars: phasianus colchicus, ring-necked pheasant, afropavo, afropavo congensis, congo peafowl, argus, argus pheasant, chrysolophus pictus, golden pheasant, monal, monaul, bird of juno, peafowl, tragopan
is a kind of wildfowl
CIDE DICTIONARY
pheasant, n. [OE. fesant, fesaunt, OF. faisant, faisan, F. faisan, L. phasianus, Gr. (sc. ) the Phasian bird, pheasant, fr. a river in Colchis or Pontus.].
- Any one of numerous species of large gallinaceous birds of the genus
Phasianus , and many other genera of the familyPhasianidæ , found chiefly in Asia. [1913 Webster]" The (common pheasant, or English pheasant Phasianus Colchicus ) is now found over most of temperate Europe, but was introduced from Asia. Thering-necked pheasant ( Phasianus torquatus ) and thegreen pheasant ( Phasianus versicolor ) have been introduced into Oregon. Thegolden pheasant ( Thaumalea picta ) is one of the most beautiful species. Thesilver pheasant ( Euplocamus nychthemerus ) of China, and several related species from Southern Asia, are very beautiful." [1913 Webster] - The ruffed grouse. [1913 Webster]" Various other birds are locally called pheasants, as the lyre bird, the leipoa, etc." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
pheasant, n. any of several long-tailed game-birds of the family Phasianidae, orig. from Asia.
Derivative
pheasantry n. (pl. -ies).
Etymology
ME f. AF fesaunt f. OF faisan f. L phasianus f. Gk phasianos (bird) of the river Phasis in Asia Minor
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