1 gallinule | Definition of gallinule
Logo
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

gallinule

noun
gal·​li·​nule | \ ˈga-lÉ™-ËŒnül How to pronounce gallinule (audio) , -ËŒnyül\

Definition of gallinule

: any of several aquatic birds of the rail family with long thin feet and a platelike frontal area on the head: such as
a : moorhen
b : one (Porphyrula martinica) found from the southern U.S. to Argentina that is purplish blue with olive-green upperparts, a red and yellow bill, and a light blue frontal area

Examples of gallinule in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 Purple gallinules like this one live and nest in the tufts of rice in the lake. — Ben Raines | [email protected], AL.com, "Stranded in the Delta with nothing but time and a camera," 30 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gallinule.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of gallinule

1776, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for gallinule

borrowed from New Latin Gallinula, genus that includes the moorhen, going back to Latin gallīnula "chicken," from gallīna "hen" + -ula -ule — more at gallinaceous

Keep scrolling for more

More from Merriam-Webster on gallinule

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with gallinule

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gallinule

WORD OF THE DAY

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!