1. n.1 any bird of the family Columbidae, with short legs, small head, and large breast.
2 a gentle or innocent person.
3 Polit. an advocate of peace or peaceful policies (cf. HAWK(1)).
4 (Dove) Relig. a representation of the Holy Spirit (John 1:32).
5 a soft grey colour.
Phrases and idioms:
dove's-foot a cranesbill, Geranium molle. dove-tree a tree with dovelike flowers, Davidia involucrata, native to China.
Derivatives:
dovelike adj.
Etymology: ME f. ON d{uacute}fa f. Gmc 2.
US past and past part. of DIVE.