Word of the day: Gallinaceous

Gallinaceous

[gal-ə-NAY-shəs]

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, late 18th century

Relating to birds of an order (Galliformes) which includes domestic poultry and game birds.

Examples of gallinaceous in a sentence

"We raised a number of gallinaceous birds on the farm, including chickens, turkeys, and pheasants."

"Ducks are not gallinaceous — they are considered waterfowl."

About Gallinaceous

The word "gallinaceous" is used to describe a specific class of domesticated fowl, which includes turkeys and quail. "Gallinaceous" comes from the Latin words for chicken, such as "gallina" ("hen"), "gallus" ("cockerel"), and the broad term "gallinaceus."

Did you Know?

Chickens are more intelligent than you might expect. According to scientific studies, these gallinaceous birds can recognize over a hundred individual faces, engage in complex communication, and even dream.