swiftlet
noun
swift·let
ˈswif(t)-lət 
: any of various cave-dwelling swifts (genera Aerodramus, Collocalia, and Hydrochous) of Asia including one (A. fuciphagus) that produces the nest used in bird's nest soup
Examples of swiftlet in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The male white-nest swiftlet (also called the edible-nest swiftlet) creates the pale nest by secreting saliva from a pair of glands under his tongue.
—
Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Sep. 2024
Trade in the swiftlet’s edible nests is long-established in Asia.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Sep. 2024
Long ago that business abandoned the site to the elements, leaving just rudimentary structures and a four-story-tall concrete birdhouse made to lure swiftlets whose nests, built with saliva, fetch high prices in China.
—Ryan Weeks, Bloomberg.com, 13 June 2024
But as its human population has swelled to 250,000, fewer swiftlets have come into the city.
—Muktita Suhartono Nyimas Laula, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Specifically, the swiftlet, which builds its nests inside.
—Muktita Suhartono Nyimas Laula, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
In the 1990s rising incomes in China prompted a boom in demand for swiftlet saliva.
—1843, 22 Nov. 2019
Tan’s nest once belonged to a swiftlet, a small bird native to caves in Southeast Asia.
—1843, 22 Nov. 2019
Other prehistoric animals that dropped off the face of the Earth around that time were species of crocodiles, turtles, and several birds, like ancient flamingo-like palaelodids, swiftlets, pigeons, parrots, and shorebirds.
—Gavin Mouldey, National Geographic, 11 Jan. 2018
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Sep. 2024
Trade in the swiftlet’s edible nests is long-established in Asia.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Sep. 2024
Long ago that business abandoned the site to the elements, leaving just rudimentary structures and a four-story-tall concrete birdhouse made to lure swiftlets whose nests, built with saliva, fetch high prices in China.
—Ryan Weeks, Bloomberg.com, 13 June 2024
But as its human population has swelled to 250,000, fewer swiftlets have come into the city.
—Muktita Suhartono Nyimas Laula, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Specifically, the swiftlet, which builds its nests inside.
—Muktita Suhartono Nyimas Laula, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
In the 1990s rising incomes in China prompted a boom in demand for swiftlet saliva.
—1843, 22 Nov. 2019
Tan’s nest once belonged to a swiftlet, a small bird native to caves in Southeast Asia.
—1843, 22 Nov. 2019
Other prehistoric animals that dropped off the face of the Earth around that time were species of crocodiles, turtles, and several birds, like ancient flamingo-like palaelodids, swiftlets, pigeons, parrots, and shorebirds.
—Gavin Mouldey, National Geographic, 11 Jan. 2018
Dictionary Entries Near swiftlet
Cite this Entry
“Swiftlet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swiftlet. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share