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Imperial pigeon

Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Pigeon \Pi"geon\, n. [F., fr. L. pipio a young pipping or
   chirping bird, fr. pipire to peep, chirp. Cf. {Peep} to
   chirp.]
   1. (Zo["o]l.) Any bird of the order Columb[ae], of which
      numerous species occur in nearly all parts of the world.

   Note: The common domestic pigeon, or dove, was derived from
         the Old World rock pigeon ({Columba livia}). It has
         given rise to numerous very remarkable varieties, such
         as the carrier, fantail, nun, pouter, tumbler, etc. The
         common wild pigeons of the Eastern United States are
         the passenger pigeon, and the Carolina dove. See under
         {Passenger}, and {Dove}. See, also, {Fruit pigeon},
         {Ground pigeon}, {Queen pigeon}, {Stock pigeon}, under
         {Fruit}, {Ground}, etc.

   2. An unsuspected victim of sharpers; a gull. [Slang]

   {Blue pigeon} (Zo["o]l.), an Australian passerine bird
      ({Graucalus melanops}); -- called also {black-faced crow}.
      

   {Green pigeon} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of Old
      World pigeons belonging to the family {Treronid[ae]}.

   {Imperial pigeon} (Zo["o]l.), any one of the large Asiatic
      fruit pigeons of the genus {Carpophada}.

   {Pigeon berry} (Bot.), the purplish black fruit of the
      pokeweed; also, the plant itself. See {Pokeweed}.

   {Pigeon English} [perhaps a corruption of business English],
      an extraordinary and grotesque dialect, employed in the
      commercial cities of China, as the medium of communication
      between foreign merchants and the Chinese. Its base is
      English, with a mixture of Portuguese and Hindoostanee.
      --Johnson's Cyc.
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