chough

From Middle English choughe, choȝe, coo, cheo, from Old English ċēo (“a bird of the genus Corvus, a jay, crow, jackdaw, chough”) and ċeahhe (“a daw”), both from Proto-Germanic *kahwǭ, *kahwō (“jackdaw, crow”), from Proto-Indo-European *gewH- (“to crow, caw, shout”). Cognate with Scots kae (“jackdaw”), West Frisian ka (“jackdaw”), Dutch kauw (“jackdaw, daw, chough”), Swedish kaja (“jackdaw”).

• IPA^(key): /tʃʌf/
• Homophone: chuff

• Audio (UK)

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• Rhymes: -ʌf

chough (plural choughs)

1. Two species of bird of the genus Pyrrhocorax in the crow family Corvidae that breed mainly in high mountains and on coastal sea cliffs of Eurasia.
2. The white-winged chough, of genus Corcorax in the Australian mud-nest builders family, Corcoracidae, that inhabits dry woodlands.

• alpine chough Pyrrhocorax graculus
• red-billed chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
• white-winged chough Corcorax melanorhamphos