Nearby Words

ptarmigan

[tahr-mi-guhn] Origin

ptar·mi·gan

[tahr-mi-guhn]
noun, plural -gans, (especially collectively) -gan.
any of several grouses of the genus Lagopus, of mountainous and cold northern regions, having feathered feet.

Origin:
1590–1600; pseudo-Greek spelling of Scots Gaelic tarmarchan, akin to Irish tarmanach
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Ptarmigan is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Collins
World English Dictionary
ptarmigan (ˈtɑːmɪɡən)
 
n , pl -gans, -gan
1.  any of several arctic and subarctic grouse of the genus Lagopus, esp L. mutus, which has a white winter plumage
2.  (sometimes capital) a created domestic fancy pigeon with ruffled or curled feathers on the wings and back
 
[C16: changed (perhaps influenced by Greek pteron wing) from Scottish Gaelic tarmachan, diminutive of tarmach, of obscure origin]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

ptarmigan
bird of the grouse family, c.1599, from Gael. tarmachan, of unknown origin. The pt- spelling (1684) is a mistaken Gk. construction.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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