wood pigeon
1
5.6
- noun
- /wʊd ˈpɪdʒən/
- UK
- The wood pigeon is known for its distinctive gray feathers and white wing patches.
Examples
-
Until we hear that wood pigeon again.
-
Oh, don't worry... it's just a little wood pigeon...
-
A wood pigeon coos.
Fiction book (2001) -
The cooing of wood pigeons makes for a persistent background noise by day, but there are no bats at twilight this year; perhaps nearby building work has dislodged them or they have been afflicted by a fungal disease.
Academic text (2015) -
In the early morning, a wood pigeon cooed softly from a nearby tree.
-
During his walk in the park, he spotted several wood pigeons nesting on the branches.
Synonyms
124
1.0
A plump bird with a small head often seen in cities
1
9.3
A large dove often found in woodlands with a dark ring or white patches on its neck
1
9.9
A large grey pigeon with white patches on its neck and wings
1
8.7
A large grey pigeon with white patches on its neck and wings found in Europe and Asia
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'wood pigeon' is transparently composed of 'wood' (wooded area) + 'pigeon' (a bird), so its meaning — a pigeon associated with woods — is directly inferable from its constituents. This follows a common noun-noun compounding pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words and sees the phrase in context will readily understand it.
Etymology
Wood pigeon comes from the bird living in the wood or forest. Imagine a large grey pigeon sitting in the trees with white patches on its wings and neck. That's why the name tells you it is a pigeon of the wood.