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Definition of peafowl

peafowl

/ˈpiːfaʊl/
pea · fowl
Plural:peafowl
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peafowl Lexical Profile

peafowl Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

Any of several species of large, terrestrial birds in the pheasant family (Phasianidae), native to forests in Asia and Africa, encompassing the extravagantly plumed male peacock, the subtler female peahen, and their offspring.

Example

"The estate grounds were famous for the colorful peafowl that roamed freely among the botanical gardens."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for peafowl

Word Nuance & Usage

"Peafowl" is the correct, gender-neutral collective term for the species, whereas "peacock" strictly refers only to the male and "peahen" to the female, though "peacock" is frequently used colloquially to refer to both.

• Rhymes for peafowl

• Nearby Words

peacock cichlid
peacock orchid
peacotum
peafowl
peahen
peak
peaked

Word Origin & Etymology

Derived from Middle English 'pefoul', combining 'pea' (from Old English 'pawa', ultimately from Latin 'pavo', meaning peacock) and 'fowl' (from Old English 'fugol', meaning bird).

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Peafowl. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/peafowl
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