chaffinch

noun

chaf·​finch ˈcha-(ˌ)finch How to pronounce chaffinch (audio)
: a common European finch (Fringilla coelebs of the family Frangillidae) of which the male has a pinkish-brown breast

Examples of chaffinch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Studies claiming to show something about a species as a whole—that green sea turtles migrate a certain distance, say, or how chaffinches respond to the song of a rival—may say more about individual animals that were captured or housed in a certain way, or that share certain genetic features. Elizabeth Preston, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2023 Studies claiming to show something about a species as a whole — that green sea turtles migrate a certain distance, say, or how chaffinches respond to the song of a rival — may say more about individual animals that were captured or housed in a certain way, or that share certain genetic features. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 18 Mar. 2023 The group froze at every chirp of a thrush or chaffinch, one hand holding the binoculars, the other a tombstone for balance. Constant Méheut, New York Times, 28 Dec. 2022 Now, Hendry and colleagues have updated and expanded the original data set with more than 5,000 additional examples: everything from the cranial depth of the common chaffinch to the lifespan of the Trinidadian guppy. Amit Katwala, Wired, 4 Feb. 2022 Up in the peaks of central Madeira, visitors can spot plain swifts swooping through the sky, while the island’s trees are often packed full of Madeiran chaffinches, a subspecies of the European common chaffinch. Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2021 Sparrows, chaffinches, linnets, and several coastal African birds arrived to the island in 1863. National Geographic, 8 May 2017

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English ceaffinc, from ceaf + finc finch

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chaffinch was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near chaffinch

Cite this Entry

“Chaffinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaffinch. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on chaffinch

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!