Dictionary

turtle dove en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɜːtəldʌv/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈtɝtəldʌv/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English turtildove, turteldoufe (cognate with Old High German turtultūba, turtulatūba, turtiltūba, Middle High German turteltūbe, türteltūbe, German Turteltaube; German Low German Turtelduuv, Dutch tortelduif, Faroese turtildúgva, Icelandic turtildúfa), Danish turteldue, Norwegian Bokmål turteldue, Norwegian Nynorsk turteldue, Swedish turturduva. The first element is from Latin turtur (“turtledove”) (compare the archaic synonym turtle (“turtle dove (bird)”); the word is not related to turtle (“reptile with a shell”).

Meanings

1. Any of several (species of) birds, called by this traditional name, mainly in the genus Streptopelia, of the family Columbidae (doves and pigeons, which also included the extinct passenger pigeon, dodo, and solitaire).
2. A lover, one half of a couple.
   • […] and then on a common impulse this curiously simple pair of habitual criminals were in each other's arms and exchanging fond kisses for all the world like honest lovers. "Hullo, turtle doves," remarked Nickle, stumbling in upon this idyll and accepting it with saving coolness. 1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:
   • Out for their evening constitutional. A lovely pair of turtledoves. Around the jolly corner, and off to the park. 1961, 101 Dalmatians:

Forms

Deriveds

Carolina turtle dove · spotted turtle dove · Australian turtle dove · European turtle dove · Malagasy turtle dove · Cape turtle dove · Eurasian turtle dove · pink-breasted turtle dove · red turtle dove · dusky turtle dove · oriental turtle dove · western turtle dove · Adamawa turtle dove · rufous turtle dove · laughing turtle dove · Madagascar turtle dove

Translations (110)

vo turturapijun (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · cs hrdlička (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · io turturo (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · gl rula (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · sc truvamassaju (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · fa قمری (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · it tortora (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · br turzhunell voutin (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · bo ཐི་བ་རིགས་ (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · mk грлица (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · sv turturduva (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · nl tortel (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · de Turteltaube (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · nv hasbídí (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · ga fearán (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · gd calman-tùchan (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · is turtildúfa (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · cmn 歐斑鳩 /欧斑鸠 (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · et turteltuvi (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · sl grlica (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · af tortelduif (lover, one half of a couple) · lv parastā ūbele (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · be турка́ўка (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · ca tórtora (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · bg гургули́ца (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · nds Turtelduuv (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · grc τρυγόνιον (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · rif tmaǧa (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · la turtur (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · fr tourterelle (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · kmr qumrî (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · af tortelduif (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · ary دْكر لْله (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · sh grlica (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · ang turtle (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · nb turteldue (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · ar تُرْغُلَّة (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · pcc rograul (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · tk gumry (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · ka გვრიტი (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · fi turturikyyhky (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · ru го́рлинка (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · as কুপতি (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · gl rula común (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · smi turtelduvvá (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · pt rôla (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · sc trùtturi (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · eu usapal (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · nrf d'mié-pigeon (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · tl lapati (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · hsb tujawka (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · cy turtur (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · rm turturella (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · sk hrdlička (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · lv ūbele (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · ro turturică (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · pt rola (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · dsb marjank (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · ro turturea (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · sq turtull (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · eo turto (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · ary ڭْريڭر (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · az qumru (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · el τριγόνι (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · tr üveyik (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · hu gerle (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · ce къор-кхокха (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · de Turteltaube (lover, one half of a couple) · sq kullumbri (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · ja 子雉鳩 (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · uk го́рлиця (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · fur tortorele (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · sw hua (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · es tórtola (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · ru го́рлица (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · ja 山鳩 (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · fa یمام (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · nrf p'tit pigeon d'France (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · da turteldue (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · lt purplelis (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · xmf ტურტურუე (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · mt gamiema (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · got 𐌷𐍂𐌰𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌳𐌿𐌱𐍉 (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · sc trùtture (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · he ימימה (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · eo turtino (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · nl tortelduif (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · cmn 斑鳩 /斑鸠 (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · nb turteldue (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · sh грлица (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · ang turtla (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · uga 𐎚𐎗 (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · clt thuvruv (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · grc τρυγών (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · dsb tujawka (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · hu vadgerle (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · ary ڭْريڭْرة (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · fy toarteldo (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · yi טערקלטויב (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · pl turkawka (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · dsb marijank (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · wa toûtrale (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · hy տատրակ (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · qu urpi (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · za roegraeu (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · ota یوسفجك (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · oc tortora (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · fo turtildúgva (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · rsk герлїчка (bird in the genus Streptopelia) · as কপৌ (bird in the genus Streptopelia)