-
Definition
-
Definition
-
Example Sentences
-
Word History
-
Phrases Containing
-
Related Articles
-
Entries Near
-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
plural vireos
: any of various small insectivorous American oscine birds (family Vireonidae, especially genus Vireo) that are chiefly olivaceous and grayish in color
Examples of vireo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At San Dieguito, that builds space for wildlife such as the light-footed Ridgway’s rail and least Bell’s vireo, two native California birds listed by the federal government as in danger of extinction.
—
Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2024
Preserving the least Bell’s vireo, of course, goes beyond the river.
—
Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2024
The project is expected to provide habitat for two endangered birds, the least Bell’s vireo and light-footed ridgeway’s rail, and offer animals access to conserved land areas for mammals such as the American badger, mountain lion, coyote, bobcat, mule deer and gray fox.
—
Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2024
The unsuspecting vireo will then raise the cowbird chicks, which grow faster than its own and outcompete the vireo nestlings for food.
—
Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024
But the bird also has to contend with the brown-headed cowbird, which is known to lay its eggs in other bird’s nests, including the least bell’s vireo’s.
—
Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024
Similar success has been reported by a cowbird control program at Fort Hood, Texas, which has become a retreat for the black-capped vireo.
—
Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
In the early 1980s, half the vireo nests there were parasitized.
—
Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
Middlesex County: Several Cape May warblers at Waitt’s Mount in Malden, a lark sparrow at Danehy Park in Cambridge, a laughing gull at the Cambridge Reservoir in Waltham, and a Philadelphia vireo at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge.
—
BostonGlobe.com, 2 Sep. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vireo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Latin, a small bird, from virēre to be green
First Known Use
1834, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing vireo
Dictionary Entries Near vireo
Cite this Entry
“Vireo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vireo. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
Kids Definition
vireo
noun
vir·eo
ˈvir-ē-ˌō
plural vireos
: any of various small insect-eating American songbirds that are chiefly olive-green or grayish in color
More from Merriam-Webster on vireo
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about vireo
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share