phoebe

noun phoe·be \ ˈfē-bē \

Updated on: 16 Mar 2018

Definition of phoebe

: 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

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Recent Examples of phoebe from the Web

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. 2017

These 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.

Origin and Etymology of phoebe

imitative

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First Known Use: 1700

in the meaning defined above

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Phoebe

noun Phoe·be \ ˈfē-bē \

Definition of Phoebe

: artemis

Origin and Etymology of phoebe

Latin, from Greek Phoibē, from phoibē, feminine of phoibos

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1567

in the meaning defined above

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PHOEBE Defined for Kids

phoebe

noun phoe·be \ ˈfē-bē \

Definition of phoebe for Students

: a small grayish brown bird that eats flying insects

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See words that rhyme with phoebe Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about phoebe

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Definition of phoebe

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