grosbeak

noun

gros·​beak ˈgrōs-ˌbēk How to pronounce grosbeak (audio)
: any of several finches (especially families Cardinalidae and Fringillidae) of Europe and America having large stout conical bills

Examples of grosbeak in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web As the seeds mature, the flower heads remain attractive, taking on darker hues and drawing hungry songbirds to the garden, including finches, grosbeaks, and chickadees. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 11 July 2024 The photo today is of a blue grosbeak nest with a cowbird egg. Taylor Piephoff, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 It’s packed with seeds that birds can’t resist—including safflower, nyjer, sunflower, red millet, and peanuts—and it’s designed to attract a variety of birds including cardinals, jays, finches, nuthatches, grosbeaks, chickadees and more. Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2023 At the end of the summer, Southern California waves goodbye to migrating cliff swallows, hooded orioles, and black-headed grosbeaks. Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Sep. 2023 See all Example Sentences for grosbeak 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grosbeak.' 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

partial translation of French grosbec, from gros thick + bec beak

First Known Use

circa 1678, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grosbeak was circa 1678

Dictionary Entries Near grosbeak

Cite this Entry

“Grosbeak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grosbeak. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

grosbeak

noun
gros·​beak ˈgrōs-ˌbēk How to pronounce grosbeak (audio)
: any of several finches (as the rose-breasted grosbeak) of Europe or America having large stout cone-shaped bills

More from Merriam-Webster on grosbeak

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