2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Gallinule  \Gal"li*nule\,  n.  [L.  gallinula  chicken,  dim.  of 
  gallina  hen:  cf  F.  gallinule.]  (Zo["o]l.) 
  One  of  several  wading  birds,  having  long,  webless  toes,  and  a 
  frontal  shield,  belonging  to  the  family  {Rallidae}.  They  are 
  remarkable  for  running  rapidly  over  marshes  and  on  floating 
  plants.  The  purple  gallinule  of  America  is  {Ionornis 
  Martinica},  that  of  the  Old  World  is  {Porphyrio  porphyrio}. 
  The  common  European  gallinule  ({Gallinula  chloropus})  is  also 
  called  {moor  hen},  {water  hen},  {water  rail},  {moor  coot}, 
  {night  bird},  and  erroneously  {dabchick}.  Closely  related  to 
  it  is  the  Florida  gallinule  ({Gallinula  galeata}). 
 
  Note:  The  purple  gallinule  of  Southern  Europe  and  Asia  was 
  formerly  believed  to  be  able  to  detect  and  report 
  adultery,  and  for  that  reason,  chiefly,  it  was  commonly 
  domesticated  by  the  ancients. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  gallinule 
  n  :  any  of  various  small  aquatic  birds  of  the  genus  Gallinula 
  distinguished  from  rails  by  a  frontal  shield  and  a 
  resemblance  to  domestic  hens  [syn:  {marsh  hen},  {water 
  hen},  {swamphen}] 

browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
or search   thesauri dictionary search words