wren

noun

\ ˈren

Definition of wren

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : any of a family (Troglodytidae) of small typically brownish oscine singing birds especially : a very small widely distributed bird (Troglodytes troglodytes) that has a short erect tail and is noted for its song

2 : any of various small singing birds resembling the true wrens in size and habits

Wren

biographical name

\ ˈren

Definition of Wren (Entry 2 of 2)

Sir Christopher 1632–1723 English architect

Examples of wren in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Typically, house wrens lay between three and 12 eggs. — Ernie Cowan Outdoors, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Watching this miracle is television series of season," 21 Apr. 2018 Sandy Neck in Barnstable produced a clapper rail, a seaside sparrow, 16 saltmarsh sparrows, 2 willow flycatchers, a marsh wren, and 2 brown thrashers. — BostonGlobe.com, "Bird sightings on Cape Cod," 24 June 2018 Birds that nest on or near the ground, like the house wren, push their young to leave early. — National Geographic, "Birds That Leave Nest Too Late Can Endanger Their Families," 25 June 2018 The normal nesting period of house wrens is two weeks to 17 days. — Ernie Cowan, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Seven for Seven - all the wren eggs hatch," 19 May 2018 Parent wrens would still bring food, but often not enter the nest box. — Ernie Cowan, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Happily, but sadly too, the wrens fly from the nest," 26 May 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 As this wren has built a giant nest for her brood, complete with leftover bits of Christmas evergreen wreath and even some wayward dental floss, my own nest is shrinking. — Lynn Petrak, chicagotribune.com, "Petrak: Mothering instincts — human and bird — in play during nesting season," 31 May 2018 Somewhere far off a marsh wren sang, but never showed itself. — Taylor Piephoff, charlotteobserver, "Cowan’s Ford Wildlife Refuge is a perfect spot for leisurely birding | Charlotte Observer," 4 May 2018

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