SINCE 1828
purple martin
nounDefinition of purple martin
: a large swallow (Progne subis) of North America the males of which have glossy purplish-blue plumage
Examples of purple martin in a Sentence
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People who host purple martin colonies are taking action to keep their neighbors alive. — Meg Jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Robins, purple martins and other birds in peril from weekend snowstorm," 17 Apr. 2018 Other sightings around the Cape included a worm-eating warbler in the Mashpee River woodlands, an alder flycatcher in South Truro, and five purple martins at Wellfleet Bay sanctuary. — BostonGlobe.com, "Bird sightings on Cape Cod," 24 June 2018 By the middle of May, there are usually more than 100 purple martins at Nikolai's colony. — Meg Jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Robins, purple martins and other birds in peril from weekend snowstorm," 17 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'purple martin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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