ringdove

9.3

A large dove often found in woodlands with a dark ring or white patches on its neck

noun
/ˈrɪŋˌdʌv/

: tórtola

The soft cooing of the ringdove added a calming background to our picnic in the woods.

Examples

In spring, the ringdove can often be seen gathering twigs to build its nest in nearby trees.
He felt like the ringdove the Abbe had once placed in the pneumatic pump during a study

Fiction book (1992)
Yet just as the white and the yolk conspire to bring forth a ringdove or a finch, so must time, nature, and alchymic art conspire to fertilize the Grand Catholicon.

Fiction book (1991)
While walking through the forest, we spotted a beautiful ringdove perched on a branch.

Synonyms

wood pigeon

vsringdove

1 5.6

A large grey bird with white patches on its wings and neck

is used for the woodland bird focusing on neck markings rather than colour

cushat

vsringdove

Archaic

9.9

A large grey pigeon with white patches on its neck and wings

is the common woodland name that highlights a neck ring or white patches

Columba palumbus

vsringdove

Specialized

8.7

A large grey pigeon with white patches on its neck and wings found in Europe and Asia

is the common English woodland name rather than the scientific Latin label

Surface Forms

ringdove singular

ringdoves plural

Morphology

ringdove = ring + dove (transparent) = ring + dove

The compound denotes a dove with a ring/neck marking; meaning follows directly from 'ring' + 'dove'.

Etymology

The word ringdove combines ring ('a small band or circle') and dove ('a bird') because this large woodland pigeon has a dark band around its neck, so the name points to that clear neck marking.