hoopoe

noun

hoo·​poe ˈhü-(ˌ)pü How to pronounce hoopoe (audio)
-(ˌ)pō
: any of a genus (Upupua of the family Upupidae) of crested Old World nonpasserine birds having a slender decurved bill and barred black-and-white wings and tail

Examples of hoopoe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Some of the more colorful birds that can be seen here include the oriole; the hoopoe, which can be found in orchards and forests; and the beautiful European bee-eater, which nests in colonies on sandy banks along rivers. David Escribano, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2024 Leading the avian gang is Hod-Hod, a young adventurous hoopoe who sets off on a quest to meet the legendary bird Simorgh, rumored to hold the key to solving all the birds’ problems. Jamie Lang, Variety, 23 Apr. 2024 Other top-scoring creatures included emerald turacos with bright green crests adorning their heads; pigeons sporting a vibrant variety of colorful feathers; and the hoopoe, an African bird with an impressive mohawk and orange, black and white stripes, reports Hannah Seo for Popular Science. Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 May 2021 The hoopoe's skull contains more spongy bone, an airy-looking material made of branches surrounding pockets of space. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 28 Oct. 2011 Compared to the hoopoe, the brain of the woodpecker is packed tightly in dense bone. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 28 Oct. 2011 Animals and plants that have been driven from much of Europe’s intensively farmed landscapes, including wolves, the Eurasian hoopoe bird and a plant called great horsetail, are reclaiming areas that were considered dead just a few years ago. Washington Post, 14 June 2018

Word History

Etymology

alteration of obsolete hoop, from Middle French huppe, from Latin upupa, of imitative origin

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hoopoe was in 1668

Dictionary Entries Near hoopoe

Cite this Entry

“Hoopoe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoopoe. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on hoopoe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!