button quail

or but·ton·quail

[ buht-n kweyl ]

noun

1. any of several small, drab, terrestrial birds of the family Turnicidae, with all but one species in the genus Turnix and well distributed in the grasslands of Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe: named for their resemblance to Old World true quails, the button quails belong to a different order (Charadriiformes) and are distinct in having neither a hind toe nor a crop.

button quail

noun

1. any small quail-like terrestrial bird of the genus Turnix , such as T. sylvatica (striped button quail), occurring in tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World: family Turnicidae , order Gruiformes (cranes, rails, etc) Also calledhemipode

Word History and Origins

Origin of button quail¹

First recorded in 1880–85