horned lark

noun

: a brownish chiefly Holarctic lark (Eremophila alpestris of the family Alaudidae) that has small tufts of black feathers on top of the head

Examples of horned lark in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The horned lark is far from the only animal to emerge from permafrost revealing exciting scientific finds. Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Feb. 2020 Experts say that the female horned lark offers clues to other sub-species that exist today. Fox News, 21 Feb. 2020 Radiocarbon dating revealed its true age, while a genetic analysis confirmed it as a horned lark (Eremophila alpestris). Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Feb. 2020 Up to three singing male dickcissals and a pair of horned larks were at the Stanly County line. Taylor Piephoff, charlotteobserver, 20 June 2018 Some bare-ground birds often seen on beaches in the winter, such as snowy owls and horned larks, are reported to be leaving. BostonGlobe.com, 21 Apr. 2018 DuBay and Fuldner studied five species: horned larks, red-headed woodpeckers, field sparrows, grasshopper sparrows and Eastern towhees. Ben Guarino, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2017

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

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of horned lark was in 1888

Dictionary Entries Near horned lark

Cite this Entry

“Horned lark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horned%20lark. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on horned lark

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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