roadrunnern.
/ˈrəʊdˌrʌnə/, U.S. /ˈroʊdˌrənər/ Either of two slender, long-tailed, crested, fast-running American birds of the genus Geococcyx (family Cuculidae), found in arid country; esp. (more fully greater roadrunner) G. californianus of the south-western United States and Mexico.
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the world > animals > birds > perching birds > order Cuculiformes (cuckoos, etc.) > [noun] > family Cuculidae > geococcyx californianus (road-runner)
paisano1853
roadrunner1856
chaparral cock1859
1856 Hutching's Mag. Nov. 201/2 The Road-Runner is seldom seen in trees, unless pursued very closely.
1885 Harper's Mag. Feb. 423/1 This bird is called scientifically the Geococcyx Californianus, but is popularly known under several other names, such as road-runner.
1930 R. Macaulay Staying with Relations xix. 275 Not a thing to look at, on this so-called road, only cactus and chaparral and road-runners and those darned flowering aloes.
1972 G. Durrell Catch me Colobus ix. 188 A Road-runner—a strange little bird with a crest and a long tail and enormous flat feet.
2003 Birder's World Apr. 32/1 You can find such birds as Sage Sparrow, Lesser Goldfinch, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, and Greater Roadrunner.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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