mourning dove

noun

1. a dove, Zenaidura macroura, of North America, noted for its plaintive cooing.

mourning dove

noun

1. a brown North American dove, Zenaidura macroura, with a plaintive song

Word History and Origins

Origin of mourning dove¹

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

One of the birds was a mourning dove and the other a European starling.

From Los Angeles Times

And then, flash forward 30 or so years later, I’m like, “Oh wow, listen to those mourning doves!”

From Salon

Downtown's Pershing Square supports mourning doves, Vaux's swifts, gopher snakes and exotic streaktails, a type of fly that feeds on aphids.

From Science Daily

He had heard the woeful sounds of a mourning dove, but that was the wrong kind of pigeon.

From Literature

“We see ducks down here. They see frogs and turtles, different birds like red wing blackbirds and mourning doves,” Tursi said.

From Seattle Times