Rookery
/ˈrʊk.ər.i/noun
A breeding place or colony of rooks, or by extension a crowded nesting place or slum.
Did you know?The word comes from rooks, a crow species known for noisy colonies, and its later slang sense for a crowded slum taps into the eerie image of a packed bird-stronghold.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
hrōc
“a rook, a black crow-like bird”
Middle English
ME
roke
“rook”
16th Century
English
rookery(e)
“a place where rooks nest; a rook colony”
18th Century
English
rookery
“a breeding place for rooks; also a crowded, shabby place”
Modern English
English
rookery
“a colony of rooks or any crowded breeding/nesting place, especially of birds or seals; also a slum”