flamingo

[fluh-ming-goh]

noun

plural

flamingos, flamingoes 

1. any of several aquatic birds of the family Phoenicopteridae, having very long legs and neck, webbed feet, a bill bent downward at the tip, and pinkish to scarlet plumage.

flamingo

/ fləˈmɪŋɡəʊ /

noun

1. any large wading bird of the family Phoenicopteridae , having a pink-and-red plumage and downward-bent bill and inhabiting brackish lakes: order Ciconiiformes

2. 1. a reddish-orange colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      flamingo gloves

Word History and Origins

Origin of flamingo¹

1555–65; compare Portuguese flamengo, Spanish flamenco literally, Fleming ( flamenco ); apparently originally a jocular name, from the conventional Romance image of the Flemish as ruddy-complexioned

Word History and Origins

Origin of flamingo¹

C16: from Portuguese flamengo , from Provençal flamenc , from Latin flamma flame + Germanic suffix -ing denoting descent from or membership of; compare _-ing ³

Example Sentences

The greater flamingo's pink colouring comes from a diet high in carotenoids - pigments found in algae and invertebrates such as shrimp.

From BBC

In September, flocks of phalaropes will arrive in Argentina’s plains and gather at Laguna Mar Chiquita, the largest saline lake in the hemisphere, where they will congregate alongside pink flamingos.

From Los Angeles Times

She points to a spot where, for the first time in 14 years, flamingo chicks hatched this year.

From BBC

Molting peacocks squawked in the distance and a Pacific breeze whispered through the eucalyptus as flamingo keeper Liz Gibbons tidied her station at the San Francisco Zoo.

From Los Angeles Times

They paid £140 for a George Johnson 1908 Royal Worcester flamingo trinket box.

From BBC