English▸ noun a marshbird of the rail family, with mainly black, purplish-blue, or dark green plumage and a red bill.
Genera Porphyrio and Porphyrula (or Gallinula), family Rallidae: several species.
– ORIGIN late 18th century: from modern Latin Gallinula (genus term), diminutive of Latin gallina ‘hen’, from gallus ‘cock’.