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noun

die Dohle, -n

jackdaw

Definition & meaning

Dohle means jackdaw, a small, intelligent member of the crow family (Corvus monedula). It is usually black or dark grey, with a lighter grey area around the eyes and neck.

The word can also have a regional or technical meaning: a covered drainage channel, culvert, or underground passage for water. This use is much less common than the meaning “jackdaw.”

Grammar & Word origin

  • Gender: feminine — die Dohle
  • Plural: die Dohlen
  • Pronunciation: approximately “DOH-luh”
  • Word type: simple noun, not transparently divisible into modern German parts

The word comes from older German forms related to the English word “daw,” an older name for a jackdaw.

Synonyms & antonyms

There is no exact everyday synonym for Dohle. Older or descriptive terms include:

  • Turmkrähe — literally “tower crow”; an old or descriptive name for a jackdaw, emphasizing its habit of nesting in towers and church buildings.
  • Rabenvogel — “corvid,” a broader category that includes crows, ravens, rooks, and jackdaws. It is therefore not an exact synonym.

There is no direct antonym, since Dohle names a particular animal species.

Common phrases & collocations

  • eine Dohle beobachten — to observe a jackdaw
  • eine Schar Dohlen — a flock of jackdaws
  • eine Dohlenkolonie — a jackdaw colony
  • Dohlen nisten in Kirchtürmen — jackdaws nest in church towers
  • eine Dohle füttern — to feed a jackdaw

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Examples

Eine Dohle baut ihr Nest im Schornstein.noun

A jackdaw builds its nest in the chimney.

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