Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
button quail

button quail

9.5
A small ground bird like a quail that lives on grassy plains and has no hind toe
  • noun
  • Indian
translation icon : codorniz botón
  • Unlike true quails, the button quail lacks a hind toe.

Examples

  • The button quail can be found in grassy plains across southern Eurasia.

  • Many button quails can be found in the grasslands.

  • Birdwatchers were excited to spot a rare button quail near the marsh.

  • The button quail is a fascinating bird.

  • The button quail can be found in grassy plains across southern Eurasia.

  • Birdwatchers were excited to spot a rare button quail near the marsh.

  • Unlike true quails, the button quail lacks a hind toe.

Synonyms

quail
vsbutton quail
25 4.2

A small round bird with a short tail that lives in fields

is a different small ground species distinguished by lacking a hind toe
button-quail
vsbutton quail
  • Indian
9.9

A small ground bird like a quail that has no hind toe

is the same but written without a hyphen in modern usage
hemipode
vsbutton quail
9.9

A small bird like a quail that lives in open grassland and has no back toe

is the common species name used for this specific group of birds
bustard quail
vsbutton quail
  • Specialized
9.9

A small ground bird like a quail in Eurasia and Africa that has no hind toe and lives in grass

is the broader taxonomic label for this kind of wading-related ground bird

Surface Forms

button quail singular
button quails plural

Morphology

button + quail

The compound is compositionally transparent: 'button' (small, button-shaped) modifies 'quail' (a type of bird), so the phrase denotes a small/quail-like bird. This follows a regular noun+noun naming pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reasonably infer the meaning.

Etymology

Button quail The name button quail comes from the bird's small, round shape: it looks like a tiny button and like a little quail, so the name now means a very small, quail-like bird.