songbird

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UK/ˈsɒŋˌbɜːd/US/ˈsɔŋˌbɝd/cot caught merger/ˈsɑŋˌbɝd/

noun

A bird having a melodious song or call.

Similar
oscinesongster
OriginEnglish bird ← Middle English brid ← Old English bridd →
Less commonScrabble 12
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Meanings

nounsongbird (plural songbirds)

plural songbirds

  1. A bird having a melodious song or call.

    Sweet little lady sings like a songbird / And she sings the opera like you ain't never heard

    1976, Electric Light Orchestra, Rockaria!
  2. Any bird in the passerine suborder Passeri, which are distinguished by a more sophisticated vocal apparatus.

    Synonyms: oscine

  3. broadlyidiomaticA person, especially a woman, with a melodious voice.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAny bird in the passerine suborder Passeri, which are distinguished by a more sophisticated vocal apparatus.

Similar
oscine
Broader
passerinebird
Narrower
songstersongstressaccentorapostlebirdbabblerberrypeckerbird of paradisebowerbirdbulbulbuntingbutcherbirdcardinalchatchickadeecisticolacowbirdcrowcuckoo shrikecurrawongdipperemu-wrenestrildid finchfairy-bluebirdfairy-wrenfigbirdfinchflowerpeckergerygonegnatcatchergracklegrasswrenhoneyeaterhypocoliuiorajaykingletlarkleaf-warblerleafbirdlogrunner

More synonyms by meaning

nounany bird having a musical call

Similar
songster
Broader
oscineoscine bird
Also see
songster

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*sengʷʰ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*séngʷʰ-e-ti
  3. Proto-Germanic*singwaną
  4. Proto-Germanic*sangwaz
  5. Proto-West Germanic*sangu
  6. Old Englishsang
  7. Middle Englishsong
  8. Englishsong
  9. Old Englishbridd
  10. Middle Englishbrid
  11. Englishbird
  12. Englishsongbird

From song + bird.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic طَائِر مُغَرِّد
  • طَائِر مُغَرِّد (ṭāʔir muḡarrid)bird
Bulgarian пойна птица
  • пойна птица (pojna ptica)bird
Catalan ocell cantador
  • ocell cantadorbird
Chinese Mandarin 鳴禽 /鸣禽, 鳴鳥 /鸣鸟
  • 鳴禽 /鸣禽 (míngqín)bird
  • 鳴鳥 /鸣鸟 (míngniaǒ)bird
Danish sangfugl
  • sangfuglbird
Dutch zangvogel
  • zangvogelbird
Esperanto kantobirdo
  • kantobirdobird
Finnish laululintu
  • laululintubird
French oiseau chanteur
  • oiseau chanteurbird
German Singvogel
  • Singvogelbird
Greek ωδικό πτηνό
  • ωδικό πτηνό (odikó ptinó)bird
Hungarian énekesmadár
  • énekesmadárbird
Japanese 鳴き鳥
  • 鳴き鳥 (nakidori)bird
Korean 명금
  • 명금 (myeonggeum)bird
Latvian dziedātājputns
  • dziedātājputnsbird
Lithuanian giesmininkas
  • giesmininkasbird
Māori manu tīoriori
  • manu tīorioribird
Norwegian Bokmål sangfugl, sanger
  • sangfuglbird
  • sangerbird
Polish ptak śpiewający
  • ptak śpiewającybird
Portuguese pássaro, passarinho
  • pássarobird
  • passarinhobird
  • ave de cantobird
Russian пе́вчая пти́ца
  • пе́вчая пти́ца (pévčaja ptíca)bird
Spanish pájaro cantor
  • pájaro cantorbird
Swedish sångfågel
  • sångfågelbird
Ukrainian співо́чий птах
  • співо́чий птах (spivóčyj ptax)bird
Welsh adar canu
  • adar canubird

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

birdsong
Cite this entry
APA

songbird. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/songbird

MLA

“songbird.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/songbird. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “songbird,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/songbird.

Source: songbird on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.