means A common stout-bodied bird with a small head and cooing call, found wild and domesticated worldwide, especially abundant in cities.

from From Old French 'pijon,' meaning a young dove, which traces back to Late Latin 'pipionem' — a 'peeping' or 'chirping' chick, from 'pipire,' to peep or cheep. So the name began as baby-talk: the bird is literally 'the little peeper.' English originally kept 'dove' for the bird and used 'pigeon' for the squab, but over time pigeon took over for the streetwise grown-up version.