mourning dove

noun

1. a dove, Zenaidura macroura, of North America, noted for its plaintive cooing.

mourning dove

noun

1. a brown North American dove, Zenaidura macroura, with a plaintive song

Word History and Origins

Origin of mourning dove¹

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

He had heard the woeful sounds of a mourning dove, but that was the wrong kind of pigeon.

From Literature

Before Merlin, I’d always assumed the distinct “coo” I heard was from a mourning dove.

From Seattle Times

I also identified and sketched a heretofore elusive Engelmann oak while listening to the coo-coo-coo of a mourning dove and mellifluous chirping by other more high-pitched birdies.

From Los Angeles Times

I also identified and sketched a heretofore elusive Engelmann oak while listening to the coo-coo-coo of a mourning dove and mellifluous chirping by other more high-pitched birdies.

From Los Angeles Times

The lament of a mourning dove is accompanied by the shrill urgency of a red-winged blackbird flitting between field and power line.

From New York Times