Adjacent Words

Pheasant definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PHEASANT, n. phez'ant. [L. phasianus.] A fowl of the genus Phasianus, of beautiful plumage, and its flesh delicate food.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: large long-tailed gallinaceous bird native to the Old World but introduced elsewhere
2: flesh of a pheasant; usually braised

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural pheasant or pheasants) Etymology: Middle English fesaunt, from Anglo-French fesant, faisan, from Latin phasianus, from Greek (ornis) phasianos, from phasianos of the Phasis River, from Phasis, river in Colchis Date: 13th century 1. any of numerous large often long-tailed and brightly colored Old World gallinaceous birds (Phasianus and related genera of the family Phasianidae) including many raised as ornamental or game birds — compare ring-necked pheasant 2. any of various birds resembling a pheasant

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. any of several long-tailed game-birds of the family Phasianidae, orig. from Asia. Derivatives: pheasantry n. (pl. -ies). Etymology: ME f. AF fesaunt f. OF faisan f. L phasianus f. Gk phasianos (bird) of the river Phasis in Asia Minor

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ruffed Ruffed, a. Furnished with a ruff. Ruffed grouse (Zo["o]l.), a North American grouse (Bonasa umbellus) common in the wooded districts of the Northern United States. The male has a ruff of brown or black feathers on each side of the neck, and is noted for the loud drumming sound he makes during the breeding season. Called also tippet grouse, partridge, birch partridge, pheasant, drummer, and white-flesher. ruffed lemur (Zo["o]l.), a species of lemur (lemur varius) having a conspicuous ruff on the sides of the head. Its color is varied with black and white. Called also ruffed maucaco.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pheasant Pheas"ant, n. [OE. fesant, fesaunt, OF. faisant, faisan, F. faisan, L. phasianus, Gr. ? (sc. ?) the Phasian bird, pheasant, fr. ? a river in Colchis or Pontus.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of large gallinaceous birds of the genus Phasianus, and many other genera of the family Phasianid[ae], found chiefly in Asia.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Note: The common, or English, {pheasant ({Phasianus Colchicus.html">pheasant.html">common, or English, {pheasant ({Phasianus Colchicus) is now found over most of temperate Europe, but was introduced from Asia. The ring-necked pheasant (P. torquatus) and the green pheasant (P. versicolor) have been introduced into Oregon. The golden pheasant (Thaumalea picta) is one of the most beautiful species. The silver pheasant (Euplocamus nychthemerus) of China, and several related species from Southern Asia, are very beautiful. 2. (Zo["o]l.) The ruffed grouse. [Southern U.S.] Note: Various other birds are locally called pheasants, as the lyre bird, the leipoa, etc. Fireback pheasant. See Fireback. Gold, or Golden, pheasant (Zo["o]l.), a Chinese pheasant (Thaumalea picta), having rich, varied colors. The crest is amber-colored, the rump is golden yellow, and the under parts are scarlet. Mountain pheasant (Zo["o]l.), the ruffed grouse. [Local, U.S.] Pheasant coucal (Zo["o]l.), a large Australian cuckoo (Centropus phasianus). The general color is black, with chestnut wings and brown tail. Called also pheasant cuckoo. The name is also applied to other allied species. Pheasant duck. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The pintail. (b) The hooded merganser. Pheasant parrot (Zo["o]l.), a large and beautiful Australian parrakeet (Platycercus Adelaidensis). The male has the back black, the feathers margined with yellowish blue and scarlet, the quills deep blue, the wing coverts and cheeks light blue, the crown, sides of the neck, breast, and middle of the belly scarlet. Pheasant's eye. (Bot.) (a) A red-flowered herb (Adonis autumnalis) of the Crowfoot family; -- called also pheasant's-eye Adonis. (b) The garden pink (Dianthus plumarius); -- called also Pheasant's-eye pink. Pheasant shell (Zo["o]l.), any marine univalve shell of the genus Phasianella, of which numerous species are found in tropical seas. The shell is smooth and usually richly colored, the colors often forming blotches like those of a pheasant. Pheasant wood. (Bot.) Same as Partridge wood (a), under Partridge. Sea pheasant (Zo["o]l.), the pintail. Water pheasant. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The sheldrake. (b) The hooded merganser.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Note: The common, or English, {pheasant ({Phasianus Colchicus.html">pheasant.html">common, or English, {pheasant ({Phasianus Colchicus) is now found over most of temperate Europe, but was introduced from Asia. The ring-necked pheasant (P. torquatus) and the green pheasant (P. versicolor) have been introduced into Oregon. The golden pheasant (Thaumalea picta) is one of the most beautiful species. The silver pheasant (Euplocamus nychthemerus) of China, and several related species from Southern Asia, are very beautiful. 2. (Zo["o]l.) The ruffed grouse. [Southern U.S.] Note: Various other birds are locally called pheasants, as the lyre bird, the leipoa, etc. Fireback pheasant. See Fireback. Gold, or Golden, pheasant (Zo["o]l.), a Chinese pheasant (Thaumalea picta), having rich, varied colors. The crest is amber-colored, the rump is golden yellow, and the under parts are scarlet. Mountain pheasant (Zo["o]l.), the ruffed grouse. [Local, U.S.] Pheasant coucal (Zo["o]l.), a large Australian cuckoo (Centropus phasianus). The general color is black, with chestnut wings and brown tail. Called also pheasant cuckoo. The name is also applied to other allied species. Pheasant duck. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The pintail. (b) The hooded merganser. Pheasant parrot (Zo["o]l.), a large and beautiful Australian parrakeet (Platycercus Adelaidensis). The male has the back black, the feathers margined with yellowish blue and scarlet, the quills deep blue, the wing coverts and cheeks light blue, the crown, sides of the neck, breast, and middle of the belly scarlet. Pheasant's eye. (Bot.) (a) A red-flowered herb (Adonis autumnalis) of the Crowfoot family; -- called also pheasant's-eye Adonis. (b) The garden pink (Dianthus plumarius); -- called also Pheasant's-eye pink. Pheasant shell (Zo["o]l.), any marine univalve shell of the genus Phasianella, of which numerous species are found in tropical seas. The shell is smooth and usually richly colored, the colors often forming blotches like those of a pheasant. Pheasant wood. (Bot.) Same as Partridge wood (a), under Partridge. Sea pheasant (Zo["o]l.), the pintail. Water pheasant. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The sheldrake. (b) The hooded merganser.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Gold Gold (g[=o]ld), n. [AS. gold; akin to D. goud, OS. & G. gold, Icel. gull, Sw. & Dan. guld, Goth. gul[thorn], Russ. & OSlav. zlato; prob. akin to E. yellow. [root]49, 234. See Yellow, and cf. Gild, v. t.] 1. (Chem.) A metallic element, constituting the most precious metal used as a common commercial medium of exchange. It has a characteristic yellow color, is one of the heaviest substances known (specific gravity 19.32), is soft, and very malleable and ductile. It is quite unalterable by heat, moisture, and most corrosive agents, and therefore well suited for its use in coin and jewelry. Symbol Au (Aurum). Atomic weight 196.7. Note: Native gold contains usually eight to ten per cent of silver, but often much more. As the amount of silver increases, the color becomes whiter and the specific gravity lower. Gold is very widely disseminated, as in the sands of many rivers, but in very small quantity. It usually occurs in quartz veins (gold quartz), in slate and metamorphic rocks, or in sand and alluvial soil, resulting from the disintegration of such rocks. It also occurs associated with other metallic substances, as in auriferous pyrites, and is combined with tellurium in the minerals petzite, calaverite, sylvanite, etc. Pure gold is too soft for ordinary use, and is hardened by alloying with silver and copper, the latter giving a characteristic reddish tinge. [See Carat.] Gold also finds use in gold foil, in the pigment purple of Cassius, and in the chloride, which is used as a toning agent in photography. 2. Money; riches; wealth. For me, the gold of France did not seduce. --Shak. 3. A yellow color, like that of the metal; as, a flower tipped with gold. 4. Figuratively, something precious or pure; as, hearts of gold. --Shak. Age of gold. See Golden age, under Golden. Dutch gold, Fool's gold, Gold dust, etc. See under Dutch, Dust, etc. Gold amalgam, a mineral, found in Columbia and California, composed of gold and mercury. Gold beater, one whose occupation is to beat gold into gold leaf. Gold beater's skin, the prepared outside membrane of the large intestine of the ox, used for separating the leaves of metal during the process of gold-beating. Gold beetle (Zo["o]l.), any small gold-colored beetle of the family Chrysomelid[ae]; -- called also golden beetle. Gold blocking, printing with gold leaf, as upon a book cover, by means of an engraved block. --Knight. Gold cloth. See Cloth of gold, under Cloth. Gold Coast, a part of the coast of Guinea, in West Africa. Gold cradle. (Mining) See Cradle, n., 7. Gold diggings, the places, or region, where gold is found by digging in sand and gravel from which it is separated by washing. Gold end, a fragment of broken gold or jewelry. Gold-end man. (a) A buyer of old gold or jewelry. (b) A goldsmith's apprentice. (c) An itinerant jeweler. ``I know him not: he looks like a gold-end man.'' --B. Jonson. Gold fever, a popular mania for gold hunting. Gold field, a region in which are deposits of gold. Gold finder. (a) One who finds gold. (b) One who empties privies. [Obs. & Low] --Swift. Gold flower, a composite plant with dry and persistent yellow radiating involucral scales, the Helichrysum St[oe]chas of Southern Europe. There are many South African species of the same genus. Gold foil, thin sheets of gold, as used by dentists and others. See Gold leaf. Gold knobs or knoppes (Bot.), buttercups. Gold lace, a kind of lace, made of gold thread. Gold latten, a thin plate of gold or gilded metal. Gold leaf, gold beaten into a film of extreme thinness, and used for gilding, etc. It is much thinner than gold foil. Gold lode (Mining), a gold vein. Gold mine, a place where gold is obtained by mining operations, as distinguished from diggings, where it is extracted by washing. Cf. Gold diggings (above). Gold nugget, a lump of gold as found in gold mining or digging; -- called also a pepito. Gold paint. See Gold shell. Gold or Golden, pheasant. (Zo["o]l.) See under Pheasant. Gold plate, a general name for vessels, dishes, cups, spoons, etc., made of gold.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(pheasants, or pheasant) A pheasant is a bird with a long tail. Pheasants are often shot as a sport and then eaten. N-COUNT • Pheasant is the flesh of this bird eaten as food. ...roast pheasant.