songbird

noun

song·​bird ˈsȯŋ-ˌbərd How to pronounce songbird (audio)
1
a
: a bird that utters a succession of musical tones
b
: an oscine bird
2
: a female singer

Examples of songbird in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Philadelphia Eagles double as athletes and songbirds, too! Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023 Nonnative shrubs, on the other hand, are more like fast food: prevalent, but not a good fit for native songbirds’ nutritional needs. Tovah Martin, Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023 But even within that critique, Collins leaves room for a soulful folk singer — the title’s metaphorical songbird — to serve as the voice of resistance. Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Nov. 2023 For example, the Wilson’s warbler is a songbird named after 19th-century ornithologist Alexander Wilson. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Nov. 2023 Among the most ubiquitous and abundant songbirds in the world, house sparrows are urban creatures that thrive where people do. Dorany Pineda, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2023 There are also plenty of snakes, but not a single songbird in the trailer. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2023 In Hawaii, officials are preparing to release a special strain of bacteria to suppress mosquitoes carrying an avian form of malaria killing songbirds. Dino Grandoni, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Sep. 2023 Indonesia Scientists recorded wild orangutans producing both voiced and voiceless vocal patterns—a feat previously attributed mostly to songbirds and human beatboxers. Timmy Broderick, Scientific American, 15 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'songbird.' 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

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of songbird was in 1573

Dictionary Entries Near songbird

Cite this Entry

“Songbird.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/songbird. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

songbird

noun
song·​bird -ˌbərd How to pronounce songbird (audio)
: a bird that utters a series of musical tones

More from Merriam-Webster on songbird

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