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

Spread across 400 acres in the hills of Santa Rosa, Safari West is home to more than 900 animals, including giraffes, zebras, rhinos, flamingos, cape buffalo and impalas. — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 21 Sep. 2026

White flamingos and red-footed falcons floated above the lagoon, framed by a long strip of dune and beach. — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

Programmed in a cream blouse and flanked by Edison bulbs and a flamingo, Norwood sat there ready for an interview. — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026

From the shipwrecks and fur seal colonies of the Skeleton Coast to Lake Bogoria’s flamingos, Victoria Falls, and the geological formations of the Rift Valley, these spectacles are even more dramatic from above. — Emily Baldwin, Travel + Leisure, 11 Sep. 2026

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