ruby-throated hummingbird

noun

ru·​by-throat·​ed hummingbird ˈrü-bē-ˌthrō-təd- How to pronounce ruby-throated hummingbird (audio)
: a hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) of eastern North America having a bright metallic green back, whitish underparts, and in the adult male a red throat

Examples of ruby-throated hummingbird in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Journey North has published nine papers based on the monarch butterfly, and one on the ruby-throated hummingbird. Ian Vorster, Discover Magazine, 22 Mar. 2015 And sorry, but your metabolism will never match that of the ruby-throated hummingbird, which has the highest metabolic rate of any vertebrate when active. Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 5 Feb. 2017 Hampshire County: two cackling geese at the campus pond at UMass in Amherst, six American golden-plovers, a ruby-throated hummingbird, two dickcissels, and a Nelson’s sparrow in Northampton’s East Meadows. Maria Elena Little Endara, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Oct. 2022 But the bright colors and startling speed of a ruby-throated hummingbird stunned her all the same. Kyle Bagenstose, USA TODAY, 3 June 2022 Many bird species, such as the ruby-throated hummingbird, use bits of lichen to construct nests. Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 15 Feb. 2022 Among hummingbird species, only the ruby-throated hummingbird nests east of the Rocky Mountains. Jim Gilbert, Star Tribune, 15 July 2021 The wings of a ruby-throated hummingbird beat about 53 times per second, according to the Cornell website. BostonGlobe.com, 17 June 2021 But only one, the ruby-throated hummingbird, breeds in the eastern United States, including Massachusetts. BostonGlobe.com, 17 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ruby-throated hummingbird.' 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

circa 1823, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ruby-throated hummingbird was circa 1823

Dictionary Entries Near ruby-throated hummingbird

rubythroat

ruby-throated hummingbird

ruby wasp

Cite this Entry

“Ruby-throated hummingbird.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruby-throated%20hummingbird. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ruby-throated hummingbird

noun
ru·​by-throat·​ed hummingbird
ˌrü-bē-ˌthrōt-əd-
: a hummingbird of eastern North America that has a bright shiny green back, whitish underparts, and in the adult male a shiny red throat

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