Illustration of passenger pigeon
passenger pigeon
noun
: an extinct but formerly abundant North American migratory pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius)
Examples of passenger pigeon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Using the passenger pigeon as a thought experiment, another paper in the same issue looks at the fears and excitement of leaders in the field of genomics.
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Breanna Draxler, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2013
The most vivid accounts of squirrel irruptions date to a time when old growth forests had yet to be logged, when bison roamed the West and flocks of passenger pigeons darkened the skies.
—John Kelly, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2023
Of course, there is a sizable camp of thylacine enthusiasts who believe that the animals never really went the way of the passenger pigeon and dodo, and instead live on in areas of mainland Australia, action planning and decision making blissfully unmolested by humans.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 18 Jan. 2017
From present-day specimens like alligators to extinct passenger pigeons and endangered species like ocelots, this exhibit is truly unique to the Lone Star State.
—Vicki Salemi, Chron, 18 Mar. 2023
The passenger pigeon was once common, too.
—Brian Amaral, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Jan. 2023
The Flying Martha, for example, is a windup flying bird, or ornithopter, that can also be used as a kite and was designed to match the exact dimensions of the passenger pigeon, a once endemic species in North America that was hunted to extinction by 1914.
—New York Times, 29 Sep. 2021
This story, from trillions to none, is a lot like that of the passenger pigeon, which also disappeared in the early twentieth century.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2023
What this means in the present is that over 1000 species have gone extinct in the past 150 years – species like the dodo bird, the passenger pigeon, and the Thylacine, the world’s only marsupial wolf.
—The Intersection, Discover Magazine, 27 Jan. 2011
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Breanna Draxler, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2013
The most vivid accounts of squirrel irruptions date to a time when old growth forests had yet to be logged, when bison roamed the West and flocks of passenger pigeons darkened the skies.
—John Kelly, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2023
Of course, there is a sizable camp of thylacine enthusiasts who believe that the animals never really went the way of the passenger pigeon and dodo, and instead live on in areas of mainland Australia, action planning and decision making blissfully unmolested by humans.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 18 Jan. 2017
From present-day specimens like alligators to extinct passenger pigeons and endangered species like ocelots, this exhibit is truly unique to the Lone Star State.
—Vicki Salemi, Chron, 18 Mar. 2023
The passenger pigeon was once common, too.
—Brian Amaral, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Jan. 2023
The Flying Martha, for example, is a windup flying bird, or ornithopter, that can also be used as a kite and was designed to match the exact dimensions of the passenger pigeon, a once endemic species in North America that was hunted to extinction by 1914.
—New York Times, 29 Sep. 2021
This story, from trillions to none, is a lot like that of the passenger pigeon, which also disappeared in the early twentieth century.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2023
What this means in the present is that over 1000 species have gone extinct in the past 150 years – species like the dodo bird, the passenger pigeon, and the Thylacine, the world’s only marsupial wolf.
—The Intersection, Discover Magazine, 27 Jan. 2011
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'passenger pigeon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1772, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near passenger pigeon
Cite this Entry
“Passenger pigeon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passenger%20pigeon. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
passenger pigeon
noun
: an extinct but formerly very common North American pigeon that migrated long distances
More from Merriam-Webster on passenger pigeon
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about passenger pigeon
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