verdin

noun

ver·​din ˈvər-dᵊn How to pronounce verdin (audio)
: a very small yellow-headed bird (Auriparus flaviceps) of arid scrubland that is related to the chickadee and is found from Texas to California and southward to Mexico

Examples of verdin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
As the winner of the Plants for Birds category, the image demonstrates the relationship between the verdin and the flora in its native habitat. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 June 2023 Plants for Birds Winner: Verdin In Tuscon, Arizona, amateur photographer Linda Scher saw her first verdin, a songbird that lives year-round in parts of the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 June 2023 Scher came back to the site about a month later and found the verdins gathering caterpillars to feed their young. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 June 2023

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, "a green songbird of Indochina," alteration of verdon, verdun "bunting, yellowhammer," from vert "green" + -on, diminutive suffix — more at verdant

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of verdin was in 1881

Dictionary Entries Near verdin

Cite this Entry

“Verdin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verdin. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!