manakin
manakin Lexical Profile
manakin Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A small, typically brightly colored passerine bird of the family Pipridae, native to the tropical forests of Central and South America, noted for the elaborate and acrobatic courtship displays of the males.
"The male blue-backed manakin performs an intricate, coordinated dance with other males on a specific branch to impress a watching female."
An anatomical or artist's model of the human body (a variant spelling of mannequin).
"The classical art instructor adjusted the joints of the wooden manakin to demonstrate proper body proportions to the students."
Word Nuance & Usage
Although 'manakin' primarily refers to a tropical bird in modern biology, it is occasionally encountered in older texts as a variant spelling of 'mannequin' (an anatomical or display model).
• Rhymes for manakin
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Middle Dutch 'mannekijn' (little man), formed from 'man' plus the diminutive suffix '-kijn'. It was likely applied to the tropical bird due to its small size and lively, human-like courtship dances.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.