Pheasants

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A bird characterized by its vibrant feathers and often sought after in hunting pursuits
2. A game bird appreciated for its meat and typically inhabiting diverse environments such as forests and fields
3. A bird species noted for its bright, ornate feathers and commonly found in woodlands and grasslands

Etymology: The bird is named after a river. The Greek "phasianos" meant "of the Phasis," the river Phasis in Colchis, on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, now in Georgia. Greek and Roman writers believed the bird had been brought west from that region, and the name travelled with it, passing through Latin "phasianus" and Old French "fesan" before reaching English as "fesaunt" in the Middle Ages. English already had a bird name of its own. The native "wor­hana," a variant of "morhana," was the ancestor of today's moorhen, and the newcomer displaced it. The plural "pheasants" is simply the regular form of "pheasant," so the story of the bird's name is the story of the word.