[hwid-uh, wid-uh] 
| 1. | any of several small African finches of the subfamily Viduinae, the males of which have elongated, drooping tail feathers during the breeding season. |
| 2. | any of several African weaverbirds of the genus Euplectes, the males of which have similar long tails. |
| whyd·ah also whid·ah (hwĭd'ə, wĭd'ə) n. Any of several African weaverbirds of the genus Vidua, the male of which grows long, drooping, predominantly black tail feathers during the breeding season. Also called widow bird. [Probably alteration of widow (bird).] |
Whydah
town, southern Benin, West Africa. It lies along the Gulf of Guinea. The town was the main port of the Kingdom of Abomey in the 18th and 19th centuries. Portuguese, French, Dutch, Danish, British, and Americans all vied for a share of the slave and palm-oil trade made available through Ouidah by the efficiently organized and centralized kingdom. In 1893 the area came under French control. Some of the old forts, a cathedral, and a temple of the Abomey traditional religion remain. Coconut, palm, and coffee are grown in the area. Ouidah is connected by road and railway to Cotonou, 20 miles (32 km) east, the major port and commercial centre of Benin. Pop. (2002) 37,647.
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