siskin

noun sis·kin \ ˈsi-skən \

Definition of siskin

: a small chiefly greenish and yellowish finch (Carduelis spinus) of Europe, Asia, and northern Africa that is related to the goldfinch — compare pine siskin, red siskin

Recent Examples of siskin from the Web

The first red siskins just arrived at SCBI in 2015.

— jackson landers, Smithsonian, "Spring Brings a Wave of Baby Animals to the Zoo," 18 May 2017
The very first red siskin chick ever born at SCBI hatched in mid-April.

— jackson landers, Smithsonian, "Spring Brings a Wave of Baby Animals to the Zoo," 18 May 2017
Finches, pine siskins, chickadees and woodpeckers eat the seeds from the pine cones and glean insects from the bark.

— jennifer j. meyer, Orange County Register, "Create a haven for songbirds," 24 Jan. 2017
Smithsonian hopes to eventually breed enough red siskins to support a reintroduction program and bolster the wild population in South America.

— jackson landers, Smithsonian, "Spring Brings a Wave of Baby Animals to the Zoo," 18 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'siskin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.