homing pigeon

noun

: a racing pigeon trained to return home

Examples of homing pigeon 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.
My first husband, for example, was born with homing pigeon instincts. — Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Oct. 2025 In the Gulf of Mexico—or the Gulf of America, as it’s now known—a homing pigeon flew into the ship’s bridge. — Adam Iscoe, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025 The story unfolds against the backdrop of a traditional practice involving training homing pigeons and flying them from rooftops. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025 But by sweeping homing pigeons’ bodies with an extremely powerful magnetic field—far more powerful than Earth’s—the team found that the birds’ livers were stuffed with them. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for homing pigeon

Word History

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of homing pigeon was in 1886

Rhymes for homing pigeon

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Browse Nearby Words

homing instinct
homing pigeon
hominid
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Homing pigeon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homing%20pigeon. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

homing pigeon

noun
: a racing pigeon trained to return home
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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