Darwin's finches

plural noun

Dar·​win's finches ˌdär-wənz- How to pronounce Darwin's finches (audio)
: finches of a subfamily (Geospizinae) having great variation in bill shape and confined mostly to the Galápagos Islands

Examples of Darwin's finches in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Their conclusions are backed up by other studies of evolution, such as in Darwin's finches, or the peppered moth. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 22 Feb. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Darwin's finches.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Charles Darwin

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Darwin's finches was in 1936

Dictionary Entries Near Darwin's finches

Cite this Entry

“Darwin's finches.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Darwin%27s%20finches. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

Darwin's finches

plural noun
Dar·​win's finches ˌdär-wənz- How to pronounce Darwin's finches (audio)
: finches of the Galápagos Islands that differ strikingly in bill shape among the various species and that were studied by Darwin
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