songbird

noun song·bird \ ˈsȯŋ-ˌbərd \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Definition of songbird

1 a : a bird that utters a succession of musical tones

b : an oscine bird

2 : a female singer

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Recent Examples of songbird from the Web

The finding is consistent with what previous research has shown about the brains of songbirds, said John Marzluff, an expert in crow behavior and a professor of wildlife science at the University of Washington.

— karen weintraub, New York Times, "Can Crows Make Mental Pictures of Tools?," 28 June 2018
In summer, a mile-long hike on the park’s only trail provides non-stop views of songbirds.

— jill k. robinson, SFChronicle.com, "5 places to spot birds in Half Moon Bay," 12 July 2018
Their experience of time and space is as different from yours as a songbird’s perception is different from an elephant’s.

— heather havrilesky, The Cut, "‘I’m a Single Mom and My Friends Walk All Over Me’," 4 July 2018
At least, not compared to the vocal cord vibrations of mammals or serenades of songbirds.

— katherine j. wu, Smithsonian, "Five Ways Real Science Would Make the New Jurassic World So Much Better," 12 June 2018
The paper looked at about a dozen songbird species, including the American robin, red-faced warbler, and other arboreal species, as well as ground-dwelling birds like the house wren and white-breasted nuthatch.

— National Geographic, "Birds That Leave Nest Too Late Can Endanger Their Families," 25 June 2018
Residents of the Palmetto State might have noticed that Baltimore orioles—small songbirds recognized by their brilliant orange and black plumage—showed up in greater numbers this past winter.

— meghan overdeep, Southern Living, "WATCH: Grape Jelly is Apparently Luring Maryland’s State Bird to South Carolina," 11 May 2018
Put out small fruits like raisins or blueberries as well as sunflower and millet seeds on the ground for robins and other songbirds to eat.

— meg jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Robins, purple martins and other birds in peril from weekend snowstorm," 17 Apr. 2018
The songbirds are on schedule, though the thrushes and flycatchers, normally bug-eaters, are making their living in the blueberry patches with last year's crop.

— john schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, "It’s still springtime on the Denali Highway," 10 June 2018

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

First Known Use of songbird

1573

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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SONGBIRD Defined for English Language Learners

songbird

noun

Definition of songbird for English Language Learners

: a bird that produces a series of musical sounds : a bird that sings especially in an appealing way
: a female singer

SONGBIRD Defined for Kids

songbird

noun song·bird \ ˈsȯŋ-ˌbərd \

Definition of songbird for Students

: a bird that produces a series of usually musical sounds

Learn More about songbird

See words that rhyme with songbird Spanish Central: Translation of songbird Nglish: Translation of songbird for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of songbird for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about songbird

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songbird

Definition of songbird

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First Known Use of songbird

SONGBIRD Defined for English Language Learners

songbird

Definition of songbird for English Language Learners

SONGBIRD Defined for Kids

songbird

Definition of songbird for Students

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SONGBIRD Defined for English Language Learners

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songbird

Definition of songbird for Students

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