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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.
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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.
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Isabela Rocha, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Oct. 2022
To help the birds out, conservation groups have built chimneys called chimney swift towers.
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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.
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Linda Girardi, chicagotribune.com, 21 Sep. 2021
Observers spotted a chimney swift and a gray catbird in Belmont and an orchard oriole in Needham.
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BostonGlobe.com, 17 Apr. 2021
While chimney swifts typically fly higher, rainy weather can cause them to forage lower to the ground.
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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.
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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.
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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 8 Feb. 2025.
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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