Etymology

kingfisher

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Today it means: Any of various birds of the suborder Alcedines (or the family Alcedinidae sensu lato), having a large head, short tail and brilliant colouration; they feed mostly on fish. Full definition →

Middle English kyngys fyschare
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kingfisher · noun1

  1. Middle English · inherited fromkyngys fyschare
  2. English todaykingfisher

Originally king's fisher, from Middle English kyngys fyschare; equivalent to king + fisher. So named for obscure reasons.

Kingfisher · proper noun2

Either after a person named King Fisher, or a combination of the surnames King and Fisher.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.