pheasant

From Middle English fesaunt, fesant, from Old French fesan, from Latin phāsiānus, from Ancient Greek φᾱσιανός (phāsianós), meaning “[bird] of the river Φᾶσις (Phâsis)”, from where, it was supposed, the bird spread to the west. Replaced native Old English wōrhana, a variant of mōrhana. More at moorhen.

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɛzənt/

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• Rhymes: -ɛzənt

pheasant (countable and uncountable, plural pheasants)

1. (countable) A bird of family Phasianidae, often hunted for food.
   • 1769, Firishta, translated by Alexander Dow, Tales translated from the Persian of Inatulla of Delhi, volume I, Dublin: P. and W. Wilson et al., page v:

     The ſpring diſplaying her elegant taſte, the proud walk of the gold-feathered pheaſant, the light tread of the ſmall-hoofed hind, and the dancing of the ſtar-trained peacock, infuſed joy into the ſoul of the ſpectator of the aſtoniſhing works of the Creator.

   • 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XI, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 80:

     Or sometimes, passing too near a sequestered copse, the shy tenants were startled, and the superb plumage of the pheasant dashed aside the branches, and the stately bird soared up on rattling wing.

2. (uncountable) The meat of this bird, eaten as food.
   • 1989, Allan Gurganus, “Black, White, and Lilac”, in Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All, New York, N.Y.: Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, book two (Time Does That), page 231:

     Tables were laid with cold pheasant, watercressy finger foods, sweets sufficient to give the Greater Raleigh Area sugar shock.

   • 2013, Stuart Neville, chapter 30, in Ratlines, New York, N.Y.: Soho Crime, →ISBN, page 158:

     Célestin Lainé sat on the edge of the bed, a tray on his lap, eating pheasant and roast vegetables with a red wine reduction.

   • 2015, Shauna Roberts, chapter 41, in Ice Magic, Fire Magic, Overland Park, Kan.: Hadley Rille Books, →ISBN, page 266:

     Bring a dish of berries with cream to me there. Bread, too. And a slice of pheasant.

• → Welsh: ffesant

• ant-heaps, thapsane, Stephana, antheaps