Meanings
nounfirebird (plural firebirds)
plural firebirds
- A scarlet tanager (Piranga olivacea). (This species is now classified as belonging to the cardinal family: Cardinalidae)
- A vermilion flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus).
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe male is bright red with black wings and tail
Similar
Broader
nountropical American flycatcher found as far north as southern Texas and Arizona; adult male has bright scarlet and black plumage
Similar
vermillion flycatcherPyrocephalus rubinus mexicanus
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From fire + bird, so called because of their bright red or orange plumage.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian жар-пти́ца
- жар-пти́ца (žar-ptíca)glowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
Catalan piranga escarlata, piranga alanegra
- piranga escarlatascarlet tanager
- piranga alanegrascarlet tanager
Czech pták ohnivák
- pták ohnivákglowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
Danish ildfugl
- ildfuglglowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
Dutch vuurvogel, feniks
- vuurvogelglowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
- feniksglowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
Esperanto fajrbirdo, fajrobirdo
- fajrbirdoglowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
- fajrobirdoglowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
- fajra birdoglowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
Estonian tulilind
- tulilindglowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
Finnish tulilintu
- tulilintuglowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
French piranga écarlate, oiseau de feu
- piranga écarlatescarlet tanager
- oiseau de feuglowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
- phénixglowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
German Scharlachkardinal, Feuervogel
- Scharlachkardinalscarlet tanager
- Feuervogelglowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
- Phoenixglowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
Hungarian tűzmadár
- tűzmadárglowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
Norwegian Bokmål ildfugl
- ildfuglglowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
Polish żar-ptak
- żar-ptakglowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
Portuguese pássaro de fogo
- pássaro de fogoglowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
Romanian pasăre de foc (pasărea de foc f)
- pasăre de foc (pasărea de foc f)glowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
Russian о́гненный мухое́д, кра́сный тира́нн
- о́гненный мухое́д (ógnennyj muxojéd)vermilion flycatcher
- кра́сный тира́нн (krásnyj tiránn)vermilion flycatcher
- жар-пти́ца (žar-ptíca)glowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
Slovak vták ohnivák
- vták ohnivákglowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
Spanish mosquero cardenal, pájaro de fuego
- mosquero cardenalvermilion flycatcher
- pájaro de fuegoglowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
Swedish eldfågel
- eldfågelglowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
Ukrainian жар-пти́ця, жар-птах
- жар-пти́ця (žar-ptýcja)glowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
- жар-птах (žar-ptax)glowing or burning bird (Slavic mythology)
Cite this entry
APA
firebird. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/firebird
MLA
“firebird.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/firebird. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “firebird,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/firebird.
Source: firebird on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.