pigeons

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of pigeon.

   Flocks of pigeons scattered as the train roared into the station.

   The square was crowded with pigeons pecking at scattered seed.

   Note

   The same spelling does double duty. It is also the verb meaning "swindles", so "the pigeons" are birds and "he pigeons" is a con. As a plural it carries the figurative nouns too. In informal North American speech, pigeons are a con artist's dupes. In politics they can be doves and appeasers. Australian slang uses the word for weak or useless people.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present indicative of pigeon.

   The con artist pigeons gullible newcomers at every opportunity he gets.

   Whenever a fresh mark appears, the dealer quietly pigeons him for his savings.

   Note

   A transitive verb, so it always takes an object: someone pigeons a victim, never simply pigeons. It is the action that goes with the noun for a con man's target. The gullible person is the pigeon, and to pigeon him is to treat him as one. The subject in front of it tells this form apart from the plural of the bird.

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