pheasant

noun pheas·ant \ ˈfe-zᵊnt \

|Updated on: 7 Jun 2018

Definition of pheasant

plural pheasant or pheasants

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

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Recent Examples of pheasant from the Web

Neff, 21, vanished after dropping her car off for service at a Mazda dealership on Florin Road; her body was found by pheasant hunters three weeks later at the end of a gravel road near the Valley Hi Country Club.

— sam stanton, sacbee, "East Area Rapist arrest has police scouring old files. Is a 13th murder charge to come? | The Sacramento Bee," 18 May 2018
The bowties are made from pheasant, guinea, rooster, goose and other fowl feathers.

— kirby adams, The Courier-Journal, "From bow ties to blow outs, it's time to begin sprucing up for the Kentucky Derby 2018," 13 Apr. 2018
Even the royal canines ate well — a mixture of fresh rabbit, partridge, and pheasant.

— kara baskin, BostonGlobe.com, "Getting Salty with James Gibney of the British Beer Company," 30 Apr. 2018
Species with a high degree of dimorphism (e.g. pheasants) differ markedly, while those with low dimorphism (e.g. rosy-faced lovebirds) can require expert analysis to tell apart.

— ryan p. smith, Smithsonian, "What the Large Penises of Tiny Crustaceans Tell Us About Evolution," 16 Apr. 2018
Earrings made from the heads of red-legged honeycreeper birds were enormously popular in the 1870s, and an iridescent cape from the 1890s made of cockerel and pheasant feathers reflected a continued fascination with plumage.

— susan delson, WSJ, "Fashion’s Glorification—and Devastation—of Nature," 20 Apr. 2018
Ingredients are likely to include fiddlehead ferns, morel and pheasant back mushrooms, spring onions, watercress, ramps, peas, spruce tips and rhubarb.

— carol deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Little Duck Kitchen debuts in May with foraging and farm dinner," 11 Apr. 2018
Gaines' Facebook page includes photos of Rosenberger in Vermont, in Florida, on a pheasant hunt and at Ohio Stadium.

— jessie balmert, Cincinnati.com, "Amid FBI investigation, Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger resigns," 10 Apr. 2018
There is also a more high-end restaurant serving bison, pheasant, deer with garden herbs, and wild rice dishes, followed by miniature maple delights.

— elizabeth warkentin, BostonGlobe.com, "Quaint sugaring experiences in Quebec," 4 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pheasant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of pheasant

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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PHEASANT Defined for English Language Learners

pheasant

noun

Definition of pheasant for English Language Learners

: a large bird that has a long tail and is often hunted for food or sport
: the meat of the pheasant eaten as food

PHEASANT Defined for Kids

pheasant

noun pheas·ant \ ˈfe-zᵊnt \

Definition of pheasant for Students

: a large brightly colored bird with a long tail that is related to the chicken and is sometimes hunted for food or sport

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See words that rhyme with pheasant Spanish Central: Translation of pheasant Nglish: Translation of pheasant for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pheasant

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pheasant

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pheasant

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