Standard Lemma guide

whydah

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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  • /ˈ(h)wɪdə/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪdə

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of various black and white African birds with distinctive drooping long tailfeathers on males in mating season, suitable as cage birds.

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

mostly black African weaverbird

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: whidah, widow bird

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: weaver, weaverbird, weaver finch

History

Etymology

Alteration of the first component of widow bird, after Whydah (now Ouidah) in Benin.

Across languages

Translations

1 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Polish: wdówka — bird