tinamou
9.9
A ground bird from South America with a heavy body and small wings
- noun
- /ˈtɪnəˌmu/
- While hiking in the Amazon, we spotted a tinamou hiding among the foliage.
Examples
-
During our trip to South America, we were excited to see a tinamou in its natural habitat.
-
The tinamou is known for its unique call that can echo through the forest.
-
It is a partridgelike bird better known by its Carib name, the tinamou.
Academic text (1991)
Synonyms
partridge
vstinamou
A large heavy bird from South America that lives on the ground
notes small wings as a defining physical trait
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word tinamou comes from a Native South American name that reached English through Spanish as tinamú. Locals used this word for the shy, heavy-bodied ground bird, so the English name now refers to that South American game bird.