Meaning & use

phoebe

noun·Advanced

A small grayish-brown North American flycatcher bird known for its distinctive tail-wagging habit.

See it in a sentence

A phoebe perched on the fence post, flicking its tail as it watched for insects.

We heard a phoebe calling its own name from a low branch near the stream.

A note on using this word

The bird's common name imitates the raspy two-note call it makes, which sounds like 'fee-bee'.

Words with a similar meaning

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