pigeon

Alternative forms

• pidgeon (chiefly archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English pygeoun, pygyne, pegyon, from Old French pijon, pyjon, from Late Latin pīpiōnem (“chirping bird”), accusative singular of Latin pīpiō (“chirping bird”), from pīpiō (“to chirp”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpɪdʒɪn/
• (US) enPR: pĭjʹən, IPA^(key): /ˈpɪdʒən/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪdʒən, -ɪdʒɪn
• Homophone: pidgin

Noun

pigeon (plural pigeons)

1. One of several birds of the family Columbidae, which consists of more than 300 species.
2. (slang) A person who is a target or victim of a confidence game.

Verb

pigeon (third-person singular simple present pigeons, present participle pigeoning, simple past and past participle pigeoned)

1. (transitive) to deceive with a confidence game

Etymology

From Old French pyjon, from Late Latin pīpiōnem (“chirping bird”), accusative singular of Latin pīpiō (“chirping bird”), from pīpiō (“to chirp”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pi.ʒɔ̃/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

pigeon m (plural pigeons, feminine pigeonne)

1. pigeon
2. (colloquial) a patsy (an easily trickable, naive person)

Further reading

• “pigeon” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• poigne

Etymology

From Old French pyjon, from Late Latin pīpiōnem (“chirping bird”), accusative singular of Latin pīpiō (“chirping bird”), from pīpiō (“to chirp”).

Noun

pigeon m (plural pigeons)

1. (Jersey) pigeon