blue pigeon en · NOUN
Meanings
- Any member of the genus Alectroenas of the pigeon family.
-
(slang) The lead used for sounding.
"Now I'll learn you something Long Jack can't," shouted Tom Platt, as from a locker by the stern he produced a battered deep-sea lead hollowed at one end, smeared the hollow from a saucer full of mutton tallow, and went forward. "I'll learn you how to fly the Blue Pigeon. Shooo!" […] The lead sung a deep droning song as Tom Platt whirled it round and round.
1897, Rudyard Kipling, Captains Courageous:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| blue pigeons | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Seychelles blue pigeon · Rodrigues blue pigeon · Réunion blue pigeon · Madagascar blue pigeon · Mauritius blue pigeon · Comoros blue pigeon