peafowl

[ pee-foul ]

noun

, plural pea·fowls, (especially collectively) pea·fowl.

1. any of several gallinaceous birds of the genera Pavo, of India, Sri Lanka, southeastern Asia, and the East Indies, and Afropavo, of Africa.

peafowl

/ ˈpiːˌfaʊl /

noun

1. either of two large pheasants, Pavo cristatus ( blue peafowl ) of India and Ceylon and P. muticus ( green peafowl ) of SE Asia. The males (peacocks) have a characteristic bright plumage See peacock
2. a rare closely related African species, Afropavo congensis ( Congo peafowl ), both sexes of which are brightly coloured

Word History and Origins

Origin of peafowl¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; pea ( peacock ) + fowl

Example Sentences

Wild peafowl can live as long as 25 years.

From BBC

Shreyovi spotted the two Indian peafowl while walking in the forest with her parents.

From BBC

Ms. Shields was told he was rescued from other peafowl, who can turn aggressive toward their old, pecking them to death.

From New York Times

South Pasadena voted to remove all peafowl from city limits as the population of the exotic bird has skyrocketed.

From Los Angeles Times

In the affluent village of Pinecrest, the peafowl found larger lots with plenty of greenery that were far more to their liking.

From New York Times