Pigeon pea

Pigeon pea
Pigeon Pi"geon, n. [F., fr. L. pipio a young pipping or chirping bird, fr. pipire to peep, chirp. Cf. {Peep} to chirp.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) Any bird of the order Columb[ae], of which numerous species occur in nearly all parts of the world. [1913 Webster]

Note: The common domestic pigeon, or dove, was derived from the Old World rock pigeon or rock dove ({Columba livia}), common in cities. It has given rise to numerous very remarkable varieties, such as the carrier, fantail, nun, pouter, tumbler, etc. The common wild pigeon of the Eastern United States is the {Mourning dove} ({Zenaida macroura}, called also {Carolina dove}). Before the 19th century, the most common pigeon was the passenger pigeon, but that species is now extinct. See {Passenger pigeon}, and {Carolina dove} under {Dove}. See, also, {Fruit pigeon}, {Ground pigeon}, {Queen pigeon}, {Stock pigeon}, under {Fruit}, {Ground}, etc. [1913 Webster +PJC]

2. An unsuspected victim of sharpers; a gull. [Slang] [1913 Webster]

{Blue pigeon} (Zo["o]l.), an Australian passerine bird ({Graucalus melanops}); -- called also {black-faced crow}.

{Green pigeon} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of Old World pigeons belonging to the family {Treronid[ae]}.

{Imperial pigeon} (Zo["o]l.), any one of the large Asiatic fruit pigeons of the genus {Carpophada}.

{Pigeon berry} (Bot.), the purplish black fruit of the pokeweed; also, the plant itself. See {Pokeweed}.

{Pigeon English} [perhaps a corruption of business English], an extraordinary and grotesque dialect, employed in the commercial cities of China, as the medium of communication between foreign merchants and the Chinese. Its base is English, with a mixture of Portuguese and Hindustani. --Johnson's Cyc.

{Pigeon grass} (Bot.), a kind of foxtail grass ({Setaria glauca}), of some value as fodder. The seeds are eagerly eaten by pigeons and other birds.

{Pigeon hawk}. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A small American falcon ({Falco columbarius}). The adult male is dark slate-blue above, streaked with black on the back; beneath, whitish or buff, streaked with brown. The tail is banded. (b) The American sharp-shinned hawk ({Accipiter velox} or {Accipiter fuscus}).

{Pigeon hole}. (a) A hole for pigeons to enter a pigeon house. (b) See {Pigeonhole}. (c) pl. An old English game, in which balls were rolled through little arches. --Halliwell.

{Pigeon house}, a dovecote.

{Pigeon pea} (Bot.), the seed of {Cajanus Indicus}; a kind of pulse used for food in the East and West Indies; also, the plant itself.

{Pigeon plum} (Bot.), the edible drupes of two West African species of {Chrysobalanus} ({Chrysobalanus ellipticus} and {Chrysobalanus luteus}).

{Pigeon tremex}. (Zo["o]l.) See under {Tremex}.

{Pigeon wood} (Bot.), a name in the West Indies for the wood of several very different kinds of trees, species of {Dipholis}, {Diospyros}, and {Coccoloba}.

{Pigeon woodpecker} (Zo["o]l.), the flicker.

{Prairie pigeon}. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The upland plover. (b) The golden plover. [Local, U.S.] [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Pigeon pea — Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angi …   Wikipedia

  • Pigeon pea — Pea Pea, n.; pl. {Peas}or {Pease}. [OE. pese, fr. AS. pisa, or OF. peis, F. pois; both fr. L. pisum; cf. Gr. ?, ?. The final s was misunderstood in English as a plural ending. Cf. {Pease}.] 1. (Bot.) A plant, and its fruit, of the genus {Pisum},… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pigeon pea — n. 1. a tropical plant (Cajanus cajan) of the pea family, with yellow flowers, widely grown for its edible seed 2. its seed …   English World dictionary

  • pigeon pea — noun 1. tropical woody herb with showy yellow flowers and flat pods; much cultivated in the tropics • Syn: ↑pigeon pea plant, ↑cajan pea, ↑catjang pea, ↑red gram, ↑dhal, ↑dahl, ↑Cajanus cajan …   Useful english dictionary

  • pigeon pea — Angola pea An*go la pea (Bot.) A tropical plant ({Cajanus indicus}) and its edible seed, a kind of pulse; so called from Angola in Western Africa. Called also {pigeon pea} and {Congo pea}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pigeon-pea — tikrasis kajanas statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Pupinių šeimos daržovinis, maistinis, medieninis, pašarinis, vaistinis augalas (Cajanus cajan), paplitęs Indijoje, kitur – auginamas. Naudojamas kurui gaminti. atitikmenys: lot. Cajanus… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • pigeon-pea plant — noun tropical woody herb with showy yellow flowers and flat pods; much cultivated in the tropics • Syn: ↑pigeon pea, ↑cajan pea, ↑catjang pea, ↑red gram, ↑dhal, ↑dahl, ↑Cajanus cajan • Hypernyms …   Useful english dictionary

  • pigeon pea — noun 1》 a dark red tropical pea like seed. 2》 the woody plant which yields pigeon peas, with pods and foliage that are used as fodder. [Cajanus cajan.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • pigeon pea — noun a) A tropical African plant , having edible seeds. b) The edible seed of this plant; dahl Syn: red gram, toovar, toor, togari, gandul, Congo pea, Gungo pea …   Wiktionary

  • pigeon pea — pi′geon pea n. 1) pln a tropical shrub, Cajanus cajan, of the legume family, with showy yellow flowers 2) pln its brown, edible seed …   From formal English to slang

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