Word Study
chough
CIDE DICTIONARY
chough, n. [OE. choughe, kowe (and cf. OE. ca), fr. AS. ceó; cf. also D. kauw, OHG. chāha; perh. akin to E. caw. √22. Cf. Caddow.].
A bird of the Crow family (Fregilus graculus ) of Europe. It is of a black color, with a long, slender, curved bill and red legs; -- also called chauk , chauk-daw , chocard , Cornish chough , red-legged crow . The name is also applied to several allied birds, as the Alpine chough . [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
chough, n. any corvine bird of the genus Pyrrhocorax, with a glossy blue-black plumage and red legs.
Etymology
ME, prob. orig. imit.
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