chough
chough Lexical Profile
chough Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A medium-sized Eurasian and North African bird of the crow family (genus Pyrrhocorax), characterized by glossy black plumage, broad wings, and a distinctive brightly colored (usually red or yellow) bill and legs.
"While hiking along the rugged coastal cliffs of Cornwall, we spotted a red-billed chough soaring gracefully on the thermals."
Australian The white-winged chough (Corcorax melanorhamphos), an Australian passerine bird that superficially resembles European choughs but is biologically unrelated, notable for its highly social behavior and large bowl-shaped mud nests.
"The white-winged chough is known for foraging in groups through the dry woodlands of eastern Australia, constantly tossing leaf litter aside to find insects."
Word Nuance & Usage
The word 'chough' is pronounced 'chuff' (/tʃʌf/), which can be an orthographic trap for readers unfamiliar with the bird.
• Rhymes for chough
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'choughe' and Old English 'cēo', originally of imitative origin reflecting the bird's characteristic sharp, high-pitched call.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.