pigeon-pair
Definition
Noun: A "pigeon-pair" refers to a set of two children, one male and one female, especially when they are twins or the only children in a family. The term originates from the fact that pigeons typically lay two eggs, which often hatch into one male and one female chick.
Usage Examples
- (A set of twins of opposite sexes.)
- (A family with exactly one son and one daughter.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is primarily used in British English and is somewhat old-fashioned or informal. It emphasizes the balance or completeness of having both a son and a daughter.
- Their pigeon-pair was the envy of the neighborhood. (Their family of one boy and one girl was admired.)
Variants and Related Words
- Pigeon (n): a bird of the Columbidae family, often used metaphorically.
- Pair (n): two things of the same type that are used together.
Synonyms
- Boy-girl twins: twins where one is male and the other female.
- Mixed-sex twins: a more clinical term for twins of different sexes.
Related Idioms
- Pigeon-pair family: a family that has exactly two children, a boy and a girl.
- They always wanted a pigeon-pair family, and their wish came true. (They wanted one son and one daughter.)
Note: This term does not have common phrasal verbs or idioms beyond its literal use. It is a specific, somewhat rare expression.