flamingo

noun

fla·​min·​go flə-ˈmiŋ-(ˌ)gō 

plural flamingos also flamingoes

: any of several large aquatic birds (family Phoenicopteridae) with long legs and neck, webbed feet, a broad lamellate bill resembling that of a duck but abruptly bent downward, and usually rosy-white plumage with scarlet wing coverts and black wing quills

Illustration of flamingo

Examples of flamingo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Outdoors editor Paul Smith plays a key role as well, writing stories about everything from the wolf hunt to why flamingos showed up in Port Washington. —Greg Borowski, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025

Then, imagine those color-changing mountains reflected in the briny water of desert salt flats, a mirage that ripples when local flamingos fly by in twos and threes. —Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025

Allen documents the demise of flamingos in the late 1800s, in Florida and throughout their Caribbean and Bahamian range. —Jerome Lorenz, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2025

The disappearance of migratory birds such as flamingos and pelicans signals not only a loss of biodiversity but also a broader disruption of regional ecosystems that sustain local livelihoods. —Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

obsolete Spanish flamengo (now flamenco), literally, Fleming, German (conventionally thought of as ruddy-complexioned)

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for flamingo

• bingo
• dingo
• gringo
• lingo

Kids Definition

flamingo

noun

fla·​min·​go flə-ˈmiŋ-gō 

plural flamingos also flamingoes

: any of several rosy-white birds with scarlet wings, a very long neck and legs, and a broad bill bent down at the end that are often found wading in shallow water

Etymology

from Portuguese flamingo "flamingo," from Spanish flamenco "flamingo," derived from Latin flamma "flame"; so called from the fiery red feathers on the underside of the wings