www.alphadictionary.com

I am reading a book ("The Tender Bar") in which the main character loves big words...when he mentioned "Nidifugous"..I thought "Really? that is a word?" LOL
But when I saw the definition, it made sense:a bird who leaves the nest early
I knew "nido" is "nest" in Spanish..and the second half related to "fugit" "flee" and in "tempus fugit" or "fugitive"

Love yr erudite posts, BarbaraK! Keep it up! Totally newword to me. In both languages!

It has a pair, with the opposite meaning: nidicolous. Applicable perhaps to young adults who still live with their parents?

Interestingly, there is another pair of words with the same meanings: altricial and precocial.

Not to be confused with precocious. Or maybe it should be?

They do share a root.

Speaking of the book, "The Tender Bar", did you hear the one about the termite that walked into a bar? He asked. "Is the bar tender here? Groan. I know, all puns are bad except for the one you are telling.

thanks,Perry..I have not been back until now to see your replies!!
love the joke,Philip

I just saw a movie about a nidicolous child, and the movie title can state the definition in modern idiom "Failure to Launch". It was amusing with a little to much modern adolescent humor.

So, could one call runaway children then "nidifugous children"?

E

yes, it seems a good use of the word...runaway children..are nidifugous! LOL

I'm thinking nidifugous children would be more along the lines of those who move out after college. This would be in keeping with a phrase we already have: the empty nest.

that would be a good use of it also
except ..when is "leaving the nest early" these days! ?

Before about 35.

LOL..that would be about right..we were just discussing how young people stay at home longer than we would have wanted to..it is a different time!