dovecote

[ duhv-koht ]

noun

1. a structure, usually at a height above the ground, for housing domestic pigeons.

dovecote

/ ˈdʌvˌkɒt; ˈdʌvˌkəʊt /

noun

1. a structure for housing pigeons, often raised on a pole or set on a wall, containing compartments for the birds to roost and lay eggs

Word History and Origins

Origin of dovecote¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; dove ¹, cote ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. flutter the dovecotes, to cause a stir in a quiet or conservative institution or group:

   The flamboyant manner of the tourists fluttered the dovecotes of the sleepy New England town.

Example Sentences

“It was a white dovecote box that had a childlike mystery about it,” he said.

From New York Times

The Victorian dovecote in the eaves of the coach house may even remain home to the family of jackdaws now living there.

From New York Times

The best-known of these, “February,” from circa 1412-1416 and usually attributed to the more rustic of the Dutch Limbourg brothers, Paul, is exquisite: the snow resting on the sheep pen, the dovecote, the beehives.

From New York Times

There’s this design for a dovecote that Dad and I have been looking at in our design book for years, but we never had the guts to try it before.

From Literature

Beckoning to be explored, Tinos is dotted with villages, hidden inland to protect them from pirates during a bygone age, and an unusual network of 18th-century dovecotes perched on hillsides and above ravines.

From New York Times