poë-bird

See also: poë bird and poebird

English

Etymology

Poë-birds or tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae), showing the tufts of white feathers at their throats which resemble pearls.

Borrowed from Tahitian poe (“pearl”) (a reference to the two tufts of white feathers at the bird’s throat)[1] + English bird.

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpəʊiːbɜːd/
(General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpoʊiˌbɝd/
Hyphenation: po‧ë-bird

Noun

poë-bird (plural poë-birds)

(obsolete) Synonym of tui (“a species of honeyeater, Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae, a bird which is endemic to New Zealand”)
Synonym: poë

Alternative forms

References

“† poë, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, September 2006.

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