Meanings
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1
noun
a tall wading bird with long legs, a curved bill, and usually pink or reddish feathers
Alice struggled to use the restless flamingo as a croquet mallet.
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2
noun
a vivid pink-orange color resembling the plumage of the bird
She chose flamingo for the bright accent wall in the studio.
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3
adj
having a vivid pink-orange color
The dancers wore flamingo costumes beneath the stage lights.
Thesaurus
Etymology
Borrowed through Portuguese flamingo and Spanish flamenco, probably from Catalan flamenc. The ultimate origin of the bird sense is disputed. One proposal connects it with the same Germanic source as Fleming, perhaps through an association between the bird's ruddy color and a stereotyped Flemish complexion; influence from words for flame has also been suggested.