whydah

or whid·ah

[ hwid-uh, wid-uh ]

noun
  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.

Origin of whydah

1
1775–85; alteration of widow (bird) to make name agree with that of a town in Benin, West Africa, one of its haunts

Words Nearby whydah

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How to use whydah in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for whydah

whydah

whidah

/ (ˈwɪdə) /


noun
  1. any of various predominantly black African weaverbirds of the genus Vidua and related genera, the males of which grow very long tail feathers in the breeding season: Also called: whydah bird, whidah bird, widow bird

Origin of whydah

1
C18: after the name of a town in Benin

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