ˈfez ə nt noun
( plural pheasant or pheasants )
Etymology: Middle English fesaunt, from Anglo-French, from Old French fesan, from Latin phasianus, from Greek phasianos, from phasianos of the Phasis river, from Phasis, river in Colchis
1. : any of numerous large, often long-tailed, and brilliantly colored Old World gallinaceous birds that constitute Phasianus and related genera of the family Phasianidae, are most abundant in Asia and the adjacent islands, and include many forms raised in semidomestication as ornamentals and one widely distributed species ( P. colchicum ) which has been naturalized in many parts of the world — see argus 2, blood pheasant , golden pheasant , kalij , lady amherst's pheasant , monal , mongolian pheasant , ring-necked pheasant , silver pheasant , tragopan
2. : any of various birds having real or fancied resemblance to a pheasant: as
a. South & Midland : ruffed grouse
b. Australia : leipoa
c. Australia : lyrebird
d. Britain : magpie
e. : any of various guans
f. : a francolin (as Francolinus capensis or Pternistis afer ) of southern Africa
3. plural pheasants : a moderate orange to light brown