flamingo

noun

fla·​min·​go flə-ˈmiŋ-(ˌ)gō How to pronounce flamingo (audio)
plural flamingos also flamingoes
: any of several large aquatic birds (family Phoenicopteridae) with long legs and neck, webbed feet, a broad lamellate bill resembling that of a duck but abruptly bent downward, and usually rosy-white plumage with scarlet wing coverts and black wing quills

Illustration of flamingo

Illustration of flamingo

Examples of flamingo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The space offers about 50 seats in a flamingo pink single dining room. — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 6 July 2026 Captive flamingos were brought as early as the 1920s from elsewhere in the Caribbean to amuse tourists. — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 6 July 2026 Outside Kordestani’s glass doors, a gigantic inflatable flamingo moved back and forth in an infinity pool. — Melanie Thernstrom, New Yorker, 29 June 2026 Some protesters carried pink flamingo balloons, a reference to the birds supposedly threatened by the resort construction project. — ABC News, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for flamingo

Word History

Etymology

obsolete Spanish flamengo (now flamenco), literally, Fleming, German (conventionally thought of as ruddy-complexioned)

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flamingo was in 1565

Rhymes for flamingo

See All Rhymes for flamingo

Browse Nearby Words

Flamingant
flamingo
flamingo flower
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flamingo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flamingo. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

flamingo

noun
fla·​min·​go flə-ˈmiŋ-gō How to pronounce flamingo (audio)
plural flamingos also flamingoes
: any of several rosy-white birds with scarlet wings, a very long neck and legs, and a broad bill bent down at the end that are often found wading in shallow water
Etymology

from Portuguese flamingo "flamingo," from Spanish flamenco "flamingo," derived from Latin flamma "flame"; so called from the fiery red feathers on the underside of the wings

More from Merriam-Webster on flamingo

Nglish: Translation of flamingo for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flamingo

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