oriole

What it means

1. Any of various colourful passerine birds, New World orioles of the genus Icterus (family Icteridae) and Old World orioles of the family Oriolidae.

   Those at risk include the wood thrush, a well-known songbird, and the Baltimore oriole, the mascot of Maryland’s baseball team.

   2019 October 10, Emily Holden, “Two-thirds of bird species in North America could vanish in climate crisis”, in The Guardian

In a sentence

Those at risk include the wood thrush, a well-known songbird, and the Baltimore oriole, the mascot of Maryland’s baseball team.

2019 October 10, Emily Holden, “Two-thirds of bird species in North America could vanish in climate crisis”, in The Guardian

Where it comes from

1. Latinaureolus
2. Old Frenchoriol
3. Middle Frenchoriol
4. Englishoriole

A borrowing from Middle French oriol, from Old French oriol, from Latin aureolus, diminutive of aureus (“golden”). Doublet of aureole. First use appears c. 1776 in the writings of Thomas Pennant.