leipoa

[ lahy-poh-uh ]

noun

1. mallee fowl.

Word History and Origins

Origin of leipoa¹

< New Latin (1840), the genus name, equivalent to Greek leíp ( ein ) to leave + ōi ( ón ) egg ( oo- ) + New Latin -a -a ²; alluding to the bird's habit of leaving its eggs in a mound after laying them

Example Sentences

In the scrubs to-day we saw a native pheasant's nest, the Leipoa ocellata of Gould, but there were no eggs in it.

From Project Gutenberg

This bird is figured in Gould's work on Australian ornithology; it is called the Leipoa ocellata.

From Project Gutenberg