chickadee

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noun chick·a·dee \ ˈchi-kə-(ˌ)dē \

Definition of chickadee

:any of several small North American oscine birds (genus Poecile of the family Paridae) that are related to the titmice, usually have the crown of the head distinctly darker than the body, and have sometimes been placed especially formerly in a related genus (Parus)

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Recent Examples of chickadee from the Web

There was a titmouse in an oak tree and a chickadee on a fence post.

— john kelly, Washington Post, "On a wing and a prayer: What do backyard birds talk about?," 13 Aug. 2017
Experienced birders can in an instant sort through the chickadees and titmice, however.

— taylor piephoff, charlotteobserver, "Use your ears to find a warbler among chickadees," 11 Aug. 2017
Mealworm seedcake, for example, is designed to attract bluebirds, orioles, wrens, jays, chickadees and titmice.

— kara carlson, The Seattle Times, "Passion for bird-watching led brothers to build a birdseed empire," 12 July 2017
The polar icecap melting, the incidence of depression among chickadees rising, tooth decay in chickens, acorns falling, the planet turning to toast.

— garrison keillor, The Denver Post, "What’s the big deal about Paris?," 6 June 2017
The average lifespan of a chickadee in the wild is 2.5 years.

— bulletin board, Twin Cities, "Sunday Bulletin Board: Name the singer: ‘Plant a seed, plant a seed, bury it, bury it, cover it up, cover it up, let it grow, let it grow, pull it up, pull it up, eat it, eat it.’," 7 May 2017
Some species can be helped with nesting boxes — bluebirds, wrens and chickadees, for example.

— adrian higgins, The Denver Post, "Calling citizen scientists: Researchers want you to track nesting birds in your garden," 28 Apr. 2017
At 315 Bowery, once CBGB, there were flying squirrels and meadow voles; around 881 Seventh Avenue, Carnegie Hall, the sharp-shinned hawk and black-capped chickadee found homes.

— jim dwyer, New York Times, "The Sounds of ‘Mannahatta’ in Your Ear," 25 Apr. 2017
Last Monday, the sun rose in the east, the black-capped chickadee sang its spring mating song and President Trump attacked American journalists in a tweet.

— jim rutenberg, New York Times, "Floyd Abrams Sees Trump’s Anti-Media Tweets as Double-Edged Swords," 23 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chickadee.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of chickadee

imitative

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First Known Use: 1838

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CHICKADEE Defined for English Language Learners

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noun

Definition of chickadee for English Language Learners

: a common, small American bird

CHICKADEE Defined for Kids

chickadee

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noun chick·a·dee \ ˈchi-kə-dē \

Definition of chickadee for Students

:a small mostly grayish bird with the top of the head black

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