turtledove

noun

tur·tle·dove ˈtər-tᵊl-ˌdəv

: any of several small, wild, African and Eurasian pigeons (genus Streptopelia and especially S. turtur) noted for plaintive cooing

Examples of turtledove in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Hello, turtledoves, and welcome back to another edition of This Week in Timothée Chalamet. —

Cady Drell, Marie Claire, 21 Dec. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'turtledove.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English turtul douve, turtill dowfe "the dove Streptopelia turtur," from turtul, turtill turtle entry 3 + douve, dowfe dove entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of turtledove was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Turtledove.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turtledove. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

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Kids Definition

turtledove

noun

tur·tle·dove ˈtərt-ᵊl-ˌdəv

: any of several small wild African and Eurasian pigeons noted for cooing

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