Library / English Dictionary

    PHEASANT

    Pronunciation (US): Play  (GB): Play

     I. (noun) 

    Sense 1

    Meaning:

    Large long-tailed gallinaceous bird native to the Old World but introduced elsewhereplay

    Classified under:

    Nouns denoting animals

    Hypernyms ("pheasant" is a kind of...):

    phasianid (a kind of game bird in the family Phasianidae)

    Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "pheasant"):

    Phasianus colchicus; ring-necked pheasant (common pheasant having bright plumage and a white neck ring)

    afropavo; Afropavo congensis; Congo peafowl (both sexes are brightly colored)

    argus; argus pheasant (large brilliantly patterned East Indian pheasant)

    Chrysolophus pictus; golden pheasant (brightly colored crested pheasant of mountains of western and central Asia)

    monal; monaul (brilliantly colored pheasant of southern Asia)

    bird of Juno; peafowl (very large terrestrial southeast Asian pheasant often raised as an ornamental bird)

    tragopan (brilliantly colored Asian pheasant having wattles and two fleshy processes on the head)

    Holonyms ("pheasant" is a member of...):

    genus Phasianus; Phasianus (type genus of the Phasianidae: the typical pheasants)

    Sense 2

    Meaning:

    Flesh of a pheasant; usually braisedplay

    Classified under:

    Nouns denoting foods and drinks

    Hypernyms ("pheasant" is a kind of...):

    wildfowl (flesh of any of a number of wild game birds suitable for food)

    Domain category:

    game bird (any bird (as grouse or pheasant) that is hunted for sport)

    Holonyms ("pheasant" is a part of...):

    Phasianus colchicus; ring-necked pheasant (common pheasant having bright plumage and a white neck ring)

    Credits

     Context examples: 

    I tried it backwards, but the combination ‘life pheasant’s hen’ was not encouraging.

    (The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

    The first day I went over Mansfield Wood, and Edmund took the copses beyond Easton, and we brought home six brace between us, and might each have killed six times as many, but we respect your pheasants, sir, I assure you, as much as you could desire.

    (Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

    He sat down opposite to me, drew the lamp to the edge of the table, and handed me a short note scribbled, as you see, upon a single sheet of grey paper. ‘The supply of game for London is going steadily up,’ it ran. ‘Head-keeper Hudson, we believe, has been now told to receive all orders for fly paper and for preservation of your hen pheasant’s life.’

    (The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

    The remaining three, Mrs. Rushworth, Mrs. Norris, and Julia, were still far behind; for Julia, whose happy star no longer prevailed, was obliged to keep by the side of Mrs. Rushworth, and restrain her impatient feet to that lady's slow pace, while her aunt, having fallen in with the housekeeper, who was come out to feed the pheasants, was lingering behind in gossip with her.

    (Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

    Whatever cross-accidents had occurred to intercept the pleasures of her nieces, she had found a morning of complete enjoyment; for the housekeeper, after a great many courtesies on the subject of pheasants, had taken her to the dairy, told her all about their cows, and given her the receipt for a famous cream cheese; and since Julia's leaving them they had been met by the gardener, with whom she had made a most satisfactory acquaintance, for she had set him right as to his grandson's illness, convinced him that it was an ague, and promised him a charm for it; and he, in return, had shewn her all his choicest nursery of plants, and actually presented her with a very curious specimen of heath.

    (Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

    Dinner was soon followed by tea and coffee, a ten miles' drive home allowed no waste of hours; and from the time of their sitting down to table, it was a quick succession of busy nothings till the carriage came to the door, and Mrs. Norris, having fidgeted about, and obtained a few pheasants' eggs and a cream cheese from the housekeeper, and made abundance of civil speeches to Mrs. Rushworth, was ready to lead the way.

    (Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)


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