Moorhen
//ˈmʊəɹˌhɛn// noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any of various medium-sized water birds of the genus Gallinula, of the rail family, that feed in open water margins.
"The pond was another favourite place to visit. Moorhens strutted from the neighbouring bushes, and a bevy of Muscovy ducks, a study in black, white and red, waddled from the farmyard hard by to enjoy a refreshing splash."
- 2 female red grouse wordnet
- 3 A female red grouse, Lagopus lagopus scotica. British
- 4 black gallinule that inhabits ponds and lakes wordnet
Example
More examples"The pheasant, the bustard, the deaf wild peacock, the moorhen, the partridge, the woodcock and the thrush are said to be delicacies."
Etymology
From Middle English morhen, perhaps from Old English *mōrhenn, an alteration of Old English worhenn (compare coordinate masculine term mōrhana, a possible corruption of worhana (“pheasant”)), equivalent to moor + hen.
Related phrases
More for "moorhen"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.