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chimney swift
noun
: a small sooty-gray swift (Chaetura pelagica) with long narrow wings that often builds its nest inside an unused chimney
called also chimney swallow
Examples of chimney swift in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Worcester County: An Eastern kingbird in New Braintree, three black vultures in Athol, a late snow bunting at the Bolton Flats Wildlife Management Area in Bolton, a snowy egret in Rutland, and a chimney swift in Westboro.
—Isabela Rocha, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Apr. 2023
An Eurasian wigeon in Seekonk, three cattle egrets in Fairhaven and a Western tanager and a late chimney swift in Mansfield.
—Isabela Rocha, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Oct. 2022
To help the birds out, conservation groups have built chimneys called chimney swift towers.
—Linda Girardi, chicagotribune.com, 21 Sep. 2021
The chimney swift has a 5-inch-long body and a 12-inch wingspan and weighs less than an ounce.
—Linda Girardi, chicagotribune.com, 21 Sep. 2021
Observers spotted a chimney swift and a gray catbird in Belmont and an orchard oriole in Needham.
—BostonGlobe.com, 17 Apr. 2021
While chimney swifts typically fly higher, rainy weather can cause them to forage lower to the ground.
—Sophie Lewis, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2019
The birds — identified as chimney swifts, which migrate from the United States to South America in the fall — were caught on video flying into the large building, which opened in May 2010.
—Ashley Boucher, PEOPLE.com, 16 Oct. 2019
The birds, identified as chimney swifts, hit the windows of the NASCAR Hall of Fame building, according to video from CNN affiliate WSOC.
—Amanda Watts, CNN, 16 Oct. 2019
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Word History
First Known Use
1849, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near chimney swift
Cite this Entry
“Chimney swift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chimney%20swift. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
chimney swift
noun
: a small sooty-gray bird with long narrow wings that often builds its nest inside an unused chimney
More from Merriam-Webster on chimney swift
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chimney swift
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