First Known Use: 1656
Dictionary
ortolan
noun or·to·lan \ˈȯr-tə-lən\
Definition of ORTOLAN
: an Old World bunting (Emberiza hortulana) having a greenish-gray head and breast, streaky brown back and wings, and a yellow throat
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Origin of ORTOLAN
French or Italian; French, from Italian ortolano, literally, gardener, from Latin hortulanus, from hortulus, diminutive of hortus garden — more at yard
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