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barn swallow
noun
: a swallow (Hirundo rustica of the family Hirundinidae) that is widespread in the northern hemisphere, has a deeply forked tail, and often nests in or near buildings
Examples of barn swallow in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As their name suggests, barn swallows prefer to nest inside buildings, and usually return to the same spot each year, repairing nesting cups sculpted from mud and clay.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Two early barn swallows were reported in Chatham and a very early purple martin was in Mashpee.
—BostonGlobe.com, 5 Apr. 2023
There are 15 barn swallow nests.
—Jim Williams, Star Tribune, 11 Aug. 2020
Bristol County: Luminaries included a greater white-fronted goose in Fairhaven, two clapper rails at Egypt Lane in Fairhaven, three tree swallows at Allens Pond in South Dartmouth, and a late barn swallow in Easton.
—BostonGlobe.com, 13 Nov. 2021
At the North River Wildlife Sanctuary in Marshfield, a barn swallow and a Northern rough-winged swallow were sighted, and two soras were seen at the Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary in Marshfield.
—BostonGlobe.com, 23 Oct. 2021
Two new barn swallow murals by Harlem artist Marthalicia Matarrita had replaced ones badly damaged by graffiti.
—James F. Lee, Washington Post, 7 July 2022
Despite the well over 1,000 scientific publications about this species, female barn swallow song had never previously been the focus of a research article.
—Lauryn Benedict, Scientific American, 26 Apr. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'barn swallow.' 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
1851, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near barn swallow
Cite this Entry
“Barn swallow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barn%20swallow. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Kids Definition
barn swallow
noun
: a common swallow that often nests in barns
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