A pheasant is a bird with a long tail. Pheasants are often shot as a sport and then eaten.
Pheasant is the flesh of this bird eaten as food.
...roast pheasant.
pheasant in British English
(ˈfɛzənt)
noun
1.
any of various long-tailed gallinaceous birds of the family Phasianidae, esp Phasianus colchicus (ring-necked pheasant), having a brightly-coloured plumage in the male: native to Asia but introduced elsewhere
2.
any of various other gallinaceous birds of the family Phasianidae, including the quails and partridges
3. US and Canadian
any of several other gallinaceous birds, esp the ruffed grouse
Word origin
C13: from Old French fesan, from Latin phāsiānus, from Greek phasianos ornis Phasian bird, named after the River Phasis, in Colchis
pheasant in American English
(ˈfɛzənt)
nounWord forms: pluralˈpheasants or ˈpheasant
1.
any of a number of large gallinaceous birds (family Phasianidae), usually with along, sweeping tail and brilliant feathers
see also partridge
2. US
any of a number of birds resembling the pheasant, as the ruffed grouse
Word origin
ME fesant < Anglo-Fr < OFr faisan < L phasianus < Gr phasianos, after Phasis, river of Colchis: the birds are said to have been numerous near its mouth