Ornith. [mod.L., Gr. τρώγων, pr. pple. of τρώγειν to gnaw.] A bird of the genus Trogon or family Trogonidæ, widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, esp. in the New World, and characterized by soft plumage of varied and usually brilliant coloring.
1792. Shaw, Mus. Lever., 177. The Leverian Trogon…. Violaceous Trogon with a gloss of green-gold; wings black; abdomen white.
1838. J. Gould (title), A Monograph of the Trogonidæ, or Family of Trogons.
1879. E. P. Wright, Anim. Life, 277. The Golden Trogon (Trogon resplendens) has the greater portion of its plumage apparently composed of burnished gold.
1907. Spectator, 23 March, 452/1. In the Miocene period … among the birds of French forests were trogons and parrots.
1910. Q. Rev., July, 137. The beautiful Central American Quezal, or King of the Trogons, ranges … from greenish bronze, through golden green, green, indigo, to purple and then into grey-black.
Hence Trogonid, a bird of the family Trogonidæ; Trogonine, Trogonoid adjs., belonging to or having the characters of the Trogonidæ.
1890. H. Seedohm, in Ibis, Jan., 31. In the Picine arrangement, whether typical or Trogonine, the front plantar does not lead to the second toe.
1891. Cent. Dict., Trogonoid.
1895. Funk’s Stand. Dict., Trogonid.
