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pheas·ant

(fĕzənt)

n. pl. pheas·ants or pheasant

1. Any of various game birds of the family Phasianidae, characteristically having a long tail, especially the ring-necked pheasant. The males of many species have brilliantly colored plumage.

2. Any of several other birds that resemble a pheasant, such as a partridge.

[Middle English fesaunt, from Old French fesan, from Latin phāsiānus, from Greek phāsiānos (ornīs), (bird) of the Phasis River, pheasant, from Phāsis, the ancient name for the Rioni River in the Republic of Georgia.]

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pheasant

male ring-necked pheasant

Phasianus colchicus

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

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The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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