Meaning & use
kinglets
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“kinglets” is a form of “kinglet”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounpluralbiology
Very small songbirds with a bright patch on top of the head, living mostly in northern forests.
Grammar: The singular is kinglet: one kinglet, two kinglets.
Patterns
- a flock of kinglets
- kinglets in the trees
Kinglets flit through the spruce trees all winter.
Two kinglets searched the bark for insects.
Few visitors notice the kinglets because they are so tiny and quick.
nounpluralliterarydisapproving
Rulers of tiny or unimportant lands, sometimes with a mocking tone.
Grammar: Literary and rare; the singular is kinglet.
Patterns
- kinglets of a region
After the empire broke up, local kinglets fought over the valleys.
The historian wrote about petty kinglets who ruled a few villages each.
The map was divided among a dozen kinglets.
Word forms
| singular | kinglet |
|---|
Common combinations
- golden-crowned kinglets
- Golden-crowned kinglets survive freezing nights by huddling together.
- ruby-crowned kinglets
- Ruby-crowned kinglets sing surprisingly loud songs for their size.
- flock of kinglets
- A flock of kinglets moved through the pines.
- kinglets and chickadees
- We saw kinglets and chickadees at the feeder.
- petty kinglets
- Petty kinglets ruled the hills before the kingdom was united.
Synonyms and how they differ
- goldcrests
- Goldcrests are a similar species in Britain and Europe, whereas kinglets is the usual name for the related birds in North America.
- petty kings
- Petty kings is a plain way to say minor rulers, while kinglets is more literary and slightly mocking.
Word family
Commonly confused: kinglets or kinglettes? kinglets or wrens?
kinglets vs kinglettes
This spelling is a mistake: the plural of kinglet is simply kinglets, because the word ending -ette is not added again.
kinglets vs wrens
Wrens are small brown birds of a different family, and learners often confuse them with kinglets.
Practice
What is the correct plural of the bird name kinglet?
Choose one answer.
Kinglets is the normal plural, formed by adding -s. Kinglettes and kingletts are misspellings, and kinglet's is a possessive form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “kinglets”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.