dovecote

American  

[duhv-koht] / ˈdʌvˌkoʊt /

Also dovecot

noun

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

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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.

dovecote British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of dovecote

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

Example Sentences

The petitioner suggests repurposing a building at nearby Chapelfield Gardens as a dovecote and source of food, in the hope it diverts pigeons away from the market.

From BBC

“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