turtledove

turtledove
/terr"tl duv'/, n.
1. any of several small to medium-sized Old World doves of the genus Streptopelia, esp. S. turtur, of Europe, having a long, graduated tail: noted for its soft, cooing call.
3. a sweetheart or beloved mate.
[1250-1300; ME turtildove, equiv. to turtil TURTLE2 + dove DOVE1]

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Species (Streptopelia turtur,family Columbidae) of migratory European pigeon that winters in northern Africa.

It is about 11 in. (28 cm) long and has a reddish brown body, blue-gray head, and white-tipped tail. A ground feeder, it eats prodigious amounts of small seeds. The name is applied to other temperate and tropical Old World Streptopeliaspecies of slim, fast-flying game birds. The ringed turtledove, or ringdove, has feral populations in California and Florida, U.S.; the laughing and spotted doves have also been introduced outside their native habitats.

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bird
also spelled  turtle dove 
 European and North African bird of the pigeon family, Columbidae (order Columbiformes), that is the namesake of its genus. The turtledove is 28 cm (11 inches) long. Its body is reddish brown, the head is blue-gray, and the tail is marked with a white tip. It is a ground feeder that eats prodigious amounts of small seeds. A migratory species, it winters in northern Africa.

      The name turtledove is commonly applied to the other Streptopelia species, including collared doves (S. decaocto) and ring-necked doves (S. capicola). These slim-bodied, fast-flying gamebirds are found throughout the temperate and tropical Old World. The ringed turtledove, or ringdove (wood pigeon), is a domestic variant of S. turtur that now has feral New World populations in California and Florida; it is sometimes given species status as S. risoria. The laughing dove (S. senegalensis) and spotted dove (S. chinensis) have also been introduced outside their native habitats. The use of the term turtle in this pigeon's common name is derived from the sound of its call; the bird has no association with shelled reptiles.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Turtledove — Tur tle*dove , n. [See 1ts {Turtle}.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) Any one of numerous species of pigeons belonging to {Turtur} and allied genera, native of various parts of the Old World; especially, the common European species ({Turtur… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Turtledove — may refer to:*The Turtle Dove, a migratory bird of the Columbidae family. *Harry Turtledove, an historian and author who writes historical fiction, science fiction, and fantasy novels …   Wikipedia

  • turtledove — [tʉrt′ l duv΄] n. [ME < OE turtle, turtla < L turtur, of echoic orig.] 1. any of several Old World wild doves (esp. genus Streptopelia) noted for their plaintive cooing and the affection that the mates are traditionally thought of as… …   English World dictionary

  • Turtledove — Harry Turtledove bei dem 63ten Welt Science Fiction Kongress (Worldcon) in Glasgow im August 2005 Harry Turtledove (* 14. Juni 1949 in Los Angeles) ist ein US amerikanischer Historiker und Roman Schriftsteller, der sich auf die Genres …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • turtledove — Dove Dove (d[u^]v), n. [OE. dove, duve, douve, AS. d[=u]fe; akin to OS. d[=u]ba, D. duif, OHG. t[=u]ba, G. taube, Icel. d[=u]fa, Sw. dufva, Dan. due, Goth. d[=u]b[=o]; perh. from the root of E. dive.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) A pigeon of the genus {Columba} …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • turtledove — tur|tle|dove [ˈtə:tldʌv US ˈtə:r ] n [Date: 1200 1300; Origin: turtle turtledove (10 19 centuries) (from Latin turtur, from the sound it makes) + dove] a type of bird that makes a pleasant soft sound and is sometimes used to represent love …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • turtledove —   Kuhukukū.   See dove.     The voice of the turtle, (archaic for turtledove), ka leo o ke kuhukukū …   English-Hawaiian dictionary

  • turtledove — noun 1. small Australian dove • Syn: ↑Australian turtledove, ↑Stictopelia cuneata • Hypernyms: ↑dove • Member Holonyms: ↑Stictopelia, ↑genus Stictopelia 2 …   Useful english dictionary

  • turtledove — noun Date: 14th century any of several small wild pigeons (genus Streptopelia and especially S. turtur) noted for plaintive cooing …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • turtledove — n. various doves belonging to the genus Streptopelia and having an elongated tail …   English contemporary dictionary

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