gallinule

gal·li·nule  (gl-nl, -nyl)

n.

Any of various wading and swimming birds of the family Rallidae, frequenting swampy regions and characteristically having dark iridescent plumage and a red bill tipped with yellow.

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[Latin gallnula, pullet, diminutive of gallna, hen; see gallinaceous.]

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gallinule [ˈgælɪˌnjuːl]

n

1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any of various aquatic birds of the genera Porphyrio and Porphyrula, typically having a dark plumage, red bill, and a red shield above the bill: family Rallidae (rails)

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals)

common gallinule the US name for moorhen [1]

[from New Latin Gallīnula genus name, from Late Latin: pullet, chicken, from Latin gallīna hen]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

gallinule - any of various small aquatic birds of the genus Gallinula distinguished from rails by a frontal shield and a resemblance to domestic hens swamphen, water hen, marsh hen aquatic bird - wading and swimming and diving birds of either fresh or salt water Gallinula, genus Gallinula - gallinules Florida gallinule, Gallinula chloropus cachinnans - North American dark bluish-grey gallinule Gallinula chloropus, moorhen - black gallinule that inhabits ponds and lakes purple gallinule - gallinules with showy purplish plumage