any of several aquatic birds of the family Phoenicopteridae, having very long legs and neck, webbed feet, a bill bent downward at the tip, and pinkish to scarlet plumage.
Origin: 1555–65; compare Portugueseflamengo,Spanishflamenco literally, Fleming (cf. flamenco); apparently originally a jocular name, from the conventional Romance image of the Flemish as ruddy-complexioned
any large wading bird of the family Phoenicopteridae, having a pink-and-red plumage and downward-bent bill and inhabiting brackish lakes: order Ciconiiformes
2.
a. a reddish-orange colour
b. (as adjective): flamingo gloves
[C16: from Portuguese flamengo, from Provençal flamenc, from Latin flamma flame + Germanic suffix -ing denoting descent from or membership of; compare -ing³]