squab

/skwɑb/

/skwɒb/

Other forms: squabs

A squab is a young domestic pigeon, the domesticated version of the wild rock pigeon. Most people use the word squab when they're talking about this bird as food.

If you order squab in a restaurant, you'll be served what looks like a small roasted chicken. The word squab was once used for the meat of any dove or pigeon—including the now-extinct passenger pigeon. In the 17th century, it simply meant "very young bird," but earlier it was used to mean "unformed, lumpish person" or "lumpish mass." The origins of squab are uncertain, but it's probably related to the Swedish skvabb, meaning "loose, fat flesh."

Definitions of squab

1. noun

   an unfledged pigeon
   type of:

   pigeon

   wild and domesticated birds having a heavy body and short legs
2. noun

   flesh of a pigeon suitable for roasting or braising; flesh of a dove (young squab) may be broiled
   synonyms: dove

   type of:

   poultry

   flesh of chickens or turkeys or ducks or geese raised for food
3. noun

   a soft padded sofa
   type of:

   couch, lounge, sofa

   an upholstered seat for more than one person
4. adjective

   short and fat
   synonyms: squabby

   little, short

   low in stature; not tall