Phrase guide

homing pigeon

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A variety of domesticated rock pigeon (Columba livia) that has been selectively bred to be able to find its way home over extremely long distances.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

pigeon trained to return home

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: homer

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: domestic pigeon

Narrower terms: carrier pigeon

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

29 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: пощенски гълъб (poštenski gǎlǎb) — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Catalan: colom missatger — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Dutch: postduif — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Esperanto: leterkolombo — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Estonian: kirjatuvi — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Finnish: kirjekyyhky — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • French: pigeon voyageur — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Georgian: საფოსტო მტრედი (saposṭo mṭredi) — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • German: Brieftaube — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • German: Reisetaube — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • German: Reisebrieftaube — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • German: Posttaube — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Hungarian: postagalamb — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Icelandic: bréfdúfa — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Irish: colúr frithinge — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Italian: piccione viaggiatore — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Japanese: 伝書鳩 (denshobato) — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Norwegian Bokmål: brevdue — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: brevdue — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Persian: کالوج (kâluj) — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Polish: gołąb pocztowy — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Portuguese: pombo-correio — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Russian: почто́вый го́лубь (počtóvyj gólubʹ) — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Serbo-Croatian: poštanski ɡolub — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Spanish: paloma mensajera — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Swedish: brevduva — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Volapük: penepejin — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Welsh: columen ddychwel — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct
  • Yiddish: פּאָסטטויב (posttoyb) — domesticated rock pigeon with strong homing instinct