Tasmanian native hen

noun

: a large, dark-colored, flightless rail (Tribonyx mortierii synonym Gallinula mortierii) native to Tasmania that has a yellow bill, red eyes, and an erect tail

Wallabies graze the lawns alongside wombats, while Tasmanian native hens strut about on their matchstick legs.

—Andrew Bain, The Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald, 13 July 2013

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1924, in the meaning defined above

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