Pi·geon n.
 1. Zool. Any bird of the order Columbæ, of which numerous species occur in nearly all parts of the world.
 Note: ☞ The common domestic pigeon, or dove, was derived from the Old World rock pigeon or rock dove (Columba livia), common in cities. It has given rise to numerous very remarkable varieties, such as the carrier, fantail, nun, pouter, tumbler, etc. The common wild pigeon of the Eastern United States is the Mourning dove (Zenaida macroura, called also Carolina dove). Before the 19th century, the most common pigeon was the passenger pigeon, but that species is now extinct. See Passenger pigeon, and Carolina dove under Dove. See, also, Fruit pigeon, Ground pigeon, Queen pigeon, Stock pigeon, under Fruit, Ground, etc.
 2. An unsuspected victim of sharpers; a gull. [Slang]
 Blue pigeon Zool., an Australian passerine bird (Graucalus melanops); -- called also black-faced crow.
 Green pigeon Zool., any one of numerous species of Old World pigeons belonging to the family Treronidæ.
 Imperial pigeon Zool., any one of the large Asiatic fruit pigeons of the genus Carpophada.
 Pigeon berry Bot., the purplish black fruit of the pokeweed; also, the plant itself. See Pokeweed.
 Pigeon English [perhaps a corruption of business English], an extraordinary and grotesque dialect, employed in the commercial cities of China, as the medium of communication between foreign merchants and the Chinese. Its base is English, with a mixture of Portuguese and Hindustani. --Johnson's Cyc.
 Pigeon grass Bot., a kind of foxtail grass (Setaria glauca), of some value as fodder. The seeds are eagerly eaten by pigeons and other birds.
 Pigeon hawk. Zool. (a) A small American falcon (Falco columbarius). The adult male is dark slate-blue above, streaked with black on the back; beneath, whitish or buff, streaked with brown. The tail is banded. (b) The American sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter velox or Accipiter fuscus).
 Pigeon hole. (a) A hole for pigeons to enter a pigeon house. (b) See Pigeonhole. (c) pl. An old English game, in which balls were rolled through little arches. --Halliwell.
 Pigeon house, a dovecote.
 Pigeon pea Bot., the seed of Cajanus Indicus; a kind of pulse used for food in the East and West Indies; also, the plant itself.
 Pigeon plum Bot., the edible drupes of two West African species of Chrysobalanus (Chrysobalanus ellipticus and Chrysobalanus luteus).
 Pigeon tremex. Zool. See under Tremex.
 Pigeon wood Bot., a name in the West Indies for the wood of several very different kinds of trees, species of Dipholis, Diospyros, and Coccoloba.
 Pigeon woodpecker Zool., the flicker.
 Prairie pigeon. Zool. (a) The upland plover. (b) The golden plover. [Local, U.S.]


 Prai·rie n.
 1. An extensive tract of level or rolling land, destitute of trees, covered with coarse grass, and usually characterized by a deep, fertile soil. They abound throughout the Mississippi valley, between the Alleghanies and the Rocky mountains.
 From the forests and the prairies,
 From the great lakes of the northland.   --Longfellow.
 2. A meadow or tract of grass; especially, a so called natural meadow.
 Prairie chicken Zool., any American grouse of the genus Tympanuchus, especially Tympanuchus Americanus (formerly Tympanuchus cupido), which inhabits the prairies of the central United States. Applied also to the sharp-tailed grouse.
 Prairie clover Bot., any plant of the leguminous genus Petalostemon, having small rosy or white flowers in dense terminal heads or spikes. Several species occur in the prairies of the United States.
 Prairie dock Bot., a coarse composite plant (Silphium terebinthaceum) with large rough leaves and yellow flowers, found in the Western prairies.
 Prairie dog Zool., a small American rodent (Cynomys Ludovicianus) allied to the marmots. It inhabits the plains west of the Mississippi. The prairie dogs burrow in the ground in large warrens, and have a sharp bark like that of a dog. Called also prairie marmot.
 Prairie grouse. Same as Prairie chicken, above.
 Prairie hare Zool., a large long-eared Western hare (Lepus campestris). See Jack rabbit, under 2d Jack.
 Prairie hawk, Prairie falcon Zool., a falcon of Western North America (Falco Mexicanus). The upper parts are brown. The tail has transverse bands of white; the under parts, longitudinal streaks and spots of brown.
 Prairie hen. Zool. Same as Prairie chicken, above.
 Prairie itch Med., an affection of the skin attended with intense itching, which is observed in the Northern and Western United States; -- also called swamp itch, winter itch.
 Prairie marmot. Zool. Same as Prairie dog, above.
 Prairie mole Zool., a large American mole (Scalops argentatus), native of the Western prairies.
 Prairie pigeon, Prairie plover, or Prairie snipe Zool., the upland plover. See Plover, n., 2.
 Prairie rattlesnake Zool., the massasauga.
 Prairie snake Zool., a large harmless American snake (Masticophis flavigularis). It is pale yellow, tinged with brown above.
 Prairie squirrel Zool., any American ground squirrel of the genus Spermophilus, inhabiting prairies; -- called also gopher.
 Prairie turnip Bot., the edible turnip-shaped farinaceous root of a leguminous plant (Psoralea esculenta) of the Upper Missouri region; also, the plant itself. Called also pomme blanche, and pomme de prairie.
 Prairie warbler Zool., a bright-colored American warbler (Dendroica discolor). The back is olive yellow, with a group of reddish spots in the middle; the under parts and the parts around the eyes are bright yellow; the sides of the throat and spots along the sides, black; three outer tail feathers partly white.
 Prairie wolf. Zool. See Coyote.

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 Up·land, a.
 1. Of or pertaining to uplands; being on upland; high in situation; as, upland inhabitants; upland pasturage.
 Sometimes, with secure delight
 The upland hamlets will invite.   --Milton.
 2. Pertaining to the country, as distinguished from the neighborhood of towns; rustic; rude; unpolished. [Obs.W2] “ The race of upland giants.”
 Upland moccasin. Zool. See Moccasin.
 Upland sandpiper, or Upland plover Zool., a large American sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) much valued as a game bird.  Unlike most sandpipers, it frequents fields and uplands.  Called also Bartramian sandpiper, Bartram's tattler, field plover, grass plover, highland plover, hillbird, humility, prairie plover, prairie pigeon, prairie snipe, papabote, quaily, and uplander.
 Upland sumach Bot., a North American shrub of the genus Rhus (Rhus glabra), used in tanning and dyeing.

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