ortolan
UK /ˈɔː.təl.ən/ · US /ˈɔɹ.tə.læn/ noun
Forms ortolans
- noun A small European migratory bunting (Emberiza hortulana), once eaten whole as a delicacy.
- noun (US) Any of various similar birds, especially the bobolink, sora, or snow bunting.
- noun The greater short-toed lark (Calandrella brachydactyla).
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle French hortolan (“gardener”), from Latin hortulānus (“gardener”). Doublet of hortulan.
Webster’s 1913
Etymology [F., fr. It. ortolano ortolan, gardener, fr. L. hortulanus gardener, fr. hortulus, dim. of hortus garden. So called because it frequents the hedges of gardens. See Yard an inclosure, and cf. Hortulan.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “ortolan”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details