Doves and Pigeons Are the Same Birds
A dove is a bird of the pigeon family. There is no biological line between the two names.
A dove is a bird of the pigeon family, and in politics someone who favours peace. Biology draws no line between doves and pigeons: the two names are used interchangeably across the same family, with *dove* tending to smaller birds and carrying gentler associations purely by convention. The white dove of peace and the city pigeon are the same species, the rock dove. The political sense, opposed to *hawk*, dates from the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.
- A pigeon-family bird. *A collared dove.*
- A peace advocate. *Doves and hawks.*
- A symbol of peace. *The dove of peace.*
- Dove — an American past tense of dive. *He dove in.*
- Old Norse — *dufa*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | dove | A dove. |
| Plural | doves | Doves. |
| Adjective | dovish | Dovish. |
| Opposite | hawk | A hawk. |
| Related | pigeon | A pigeon. |
- A dove settled on the roof.Bird.
- The doves opposed the strike.Politics.
- The rock dove is the city pigeon.Fact.
Doves and pigeons
- Both belong to the family Columbidae
- Dove tends to be used for smaller species
- Pigeon comes from French, dove from Norse
- The white dove of peace is a domesticated rock dove
- The distinction is cultural, not biological
Old Norse *dufa*, a dove, of Germanic origin, related to Dutch *duif*.
What is the difference between a dove and a pigeon?
Nothing biological. Both belong to the same family. Dove tends to name smaller birds and carries gentler associations by convention.
When did dove come to mean a peace advocate?
The modern political sense, paired against hawk, dates from the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.