Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
peafowl

peafowl

1 8.0
A large colorful bird whose male has a long showy tail
  • noun
  • /ˈpiːfaʊl/
translation icon : pavo real
  • Of course, even species with a stronger dimorphism—peafowl, for a well-known and obvious example—have their outliers.
  • the Indian peafowl

Examples

  • Like peafowl, female barn swallows are known to prefer males with symmetrical tails, apparently recognizing them as indicators of resistance to parasites.

    Academic text (1993)

  • Peafowl are very resilient animals.

    We Bought a Zoo (2011)

  • It seemed odd seeing so many peafowl wandering around in the wild.

    Academic text (2006)

  • Sufficient, my posturing peafowl, to addle your thick pate.

    Sinbad the Sailor (1947)

  • The male peafowl displayed its vibrant plumage during the mating season, attracting many admirers.

  • In the garden, a majestic peafowl strutted proudly, showing off its beautiful tail feathers.

  • At the wildlife sanctuary, visitors were delighted to see a colorful peafowl roaming freely.

Synonyms

genus Pavo
vspeafowl
  • Specialized
9.0

A group of large, colorful birds like peacocks

is the common descriptive name used instead of the scientific genus

Compounds

blue peafowl
  • Indian
6.8

A large bird with bright blue feathers and a long fan tail from India and Sri Lanka

Congo peafowl
  • South African
9.9

A large, colorful bird from the Congo Basin with showy feathers

green peafowl
  • Indian
8.2

A large bird like a peacock with bright green and blue feathers found in Southeast Asia

Surface Forms

peafowl singular
peafowls plural

Etymology

Peafowl is made of pea, an old name for this famous bird, and fowl, which means 'bird'. So peafowl is the common name for the large, colorful birds, like the male peacock and the female peahen, and that is why the word refers to the species as a whole.