ortolan

O1R1T1O1L1A1N1
UK/ˈɔː.təl.ən/UK/ˈɔː.təl.æn/US/ˈɔɹ.tə.læn/US/ˈɔɹ.tə.lən/

noun

A small European migratory bunting (Emberiza hortulana), once eaten whole as a delicacy.

Similar
ortolan buntingEmberiza hortulana
OriginMiddle French hortolan ← Latin hortulānus →
RareScrabble 7
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Meanings

nounortolan (plural ortolans)

plural ortolans

  1. A small European migratory bunting (Emberiza hortulana), once eaten whole as a delicacy.

    […]this taught him to consider Sophia as a most delicious morsel, indeed to regard her with the same desires which an ortolan inspires into the soul of an epicure.

    1749, Henry Fielding, chapter VI, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book VII
    1 more example

    […]the last flavor Mitterrand wished to savor belonged to the flesh of the endangered ortolan, a songbird the size of a human toe that is a crime to buy or hunt, and is certainly illegal to eat. Mitterrand devoured it in the traditional manner, first covering his head with an embroidered cloth, then inserting the entire bird into his mouth.[…]Only its head should dangle out from between your lips. Bite off the head and discard.

    2003, Stewart Lee Allen, In the Devil's Garden: A Sinful History of Forbidden Food, page 73
  2. USAny of various similar birds, especially the bobolink, sora, or snow bunting.
  3. The greater short-toed lark (Calandrella brachydactyla).

Synonyms & antonyms

nounbrownish Old World bunting often eaten as a delicacy

Similar
ortolan buntingEmberiza hortulana
Broader
bunting
Also see
ortolan bunting

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinhortulānus“gardener”
  2. Middle Frenchhortolan“gardener”
  3. Englishortolan

From Middle French hortolan (“gardener”), from Latin hortulānus (“gardener”). Doublet of hortulan.

More words from Middle French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian градинска овесарка
  • градинска овесарка (gradinska ovesarka)a small bird eaten as a delicacy
Catalan hortolà, piula hortolana
  • hortolàa small bird eaten as a delicacy
  • piula hortolanaa small bird eaten as a delicacy
Dutch ortolaan
  • ortolaana small bird eaten as a delicacy
Esperanto hortulano
  • hortulanoa small bird eaten as a delicacy
Finnish peltosirkku
  • peltosirkkua small bird eaten as a delicacy
French ortolan, becfigue
  • ortolana small bird eaten as a delicacy
  • becfiguea small bird eaten as a delicacy
German Ortolan
  • Ortolana small bird eaten as a delicacy
Italian beccafico
  • beccaficoa small bird eaten as a delicacy
Polish ortolan
  • ortolana small bird eaten as a delicacy
Romanian ortolan
  • ortolana small bird eaten as a delicacy
Russian садовая овся́нка, рисовый трупиал
  • садовая овся́нка (sadovaja ovsjánka)a small bird eaten as a delicacy
  • рисовый трупиал (risovyj trupial)a small bird eaten as a delicacy
  • боболинк (bobolink)a small bird eaten as a delicacy
Spanish hortelano, papafigo
  • hortelanoa small bird eaten as a delicacy
  • papafigoa small bird eaten as a delicacy
Turkish kiraz kuşu, çinte
  • kiraz kuşua small bird eaten as a delicacy
  • çintea small bird eaten as a delicacy
Yiddish אָרטאָלאַן
  • אָרטאָלאַן (ortolan)a small bird eaten as a delicacy
Cite this entry
APA

ortolan. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ortolan

MLA

“ortolan.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ortolan. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ortolan,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ortolan.

Source: ortolan on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.