fairy swallow
- noun
:
paloma hada
- The fairy swallow is prized by pigeon enthusiasts for its striking appearance and graceful flight.
Examples
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She photographed a fairy swallow displaying its elaborate feathered feet at the bird show.
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Our aviary recently acquired a pair of blue-and-white fairy swallows for breeding.
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The fairy swallow is a beautiful bird.
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I saw a fairy swallow in the garden.
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Our aviary recently acquired a pair of blue-and-white fairy swallows for breeding.
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She photographed a fairy swallow displaying its elaborate feathered feet at the bird show.
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The fairy swallow is prized by pigeon enthusiasts for its striking appearance and graceful flight.
Surface Forms
Morphology
fairy + swallow
The element 'swallow' signals a bird and 'fairy' conveys a small or fanciful quality, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would likely infer this is a small or decorative bird. However, the term refers specifically to a pigeon breed (not a true swallow) with distinctive plumage and feathered feet—details that are not predictable from the parts—so the relation is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Fairy swallow may get its name from looking like a tiny, pretty fairy and from flying or turning in the air like a small bird called a swallow. That's why the name fits a fancy 'pigeon' with blue-and-white feathers and large feathered feet.
