SINCE 1828
phoebe
noun (1)
phoe·be
| \ ˈfē-bē
\
\
Definition of phoebe
(Entry 1 of 2)
: any of a genus (Sayornis) of the tyrant flycatcher family
especially
: a flycatcher (S. phoebe) of the eastern U.S. that has a slight crest and is plain grayish brown above and yellowish white below
Phoebe
noun (2)
Phoe·be
| \ ˈfē-bē
\
\
Definition of Phoebe (Entry 2 of 2)
: artemis
Examples of phoebe in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Birds are adaptable and make nests in countless buildings in the city, but not every nesting site has a staff that takes a keen interest in the welfare of the phoebes and their chicks. — Weldon Johnson, azcentral, "Arizona hidden gem: A lush birding oasis is just moments from downtown Phoenix," 4 June 2019 In 2011, a U.S. attorney in North Dakota charged Hamm with a criminal misdemeanor after a Say’s phoebe got stuck and died in a pond of oil waste. — Dino Grandoni, Washington Post, "The Energy 202: Ryan Zinke's move is not for the birds, say 17 former Interior officials," 12 Jan. 2018 In 1804, a young naturalist named John James Audubon tied silver threads to the legs of the eastern phoebes, tiny white-and-brown songbirds, that lived in a nest near his home near Philadelphia. — Marina Koren, The Atlantic, "The Golden Age of Animal Tracking," 20 Sep. 2017 DEAR JOAN: Last summer a neighbor removed some evergreens and several displaced black phoebes found their way to our yard. — Joan Morris, The Mercury News, "Why won’t the bird use the nice bird house?," 14 Mar. 2017 A phoebe is a kind of bird, and my little girl also happened to arrive 8 weeks before her due date, making her a true early bird. — Liz Krieger, Town & Country, "Why "Birdie" is the New "Muffy"," 10 July 2017 The day was as soft as sunshine when an eastern phoebe returned to my yard during the first week of April. — Bulletin Board, Twin Cities, "Sunday Bulletin Board: If you want to see the world, he has just the advice you need!," 30 Apr. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'phoebe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for phoebe
phoebe
noun
phoe·be
| \ ˈfē-bē
\
\
Kids Definition of phoebe
: a small grayish brown bird that eats flying insects
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