poë-bird
See also: poë bird and poebird
English
Etymology
![](Images/wiktionary/Two_tuis_near_a_bird_feeder%252C_one_fluffed_up.jpg.webp)
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
- poë bird
- poebird
References
- “† poë, n.”, in OED Online
, Oxford: Oxford University Press, September 2006.