Meaning & use
songbird
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Meanings
nouncountablebiology
A bird that produces a musical call or song, especially one of the perching birds.
Grammar: Countable; plural: songbirds.
The songbird outside my window wakes me every morning.
Many songbirds migrate south for the winter.
A songbird's melody can be heard over long distances.
nouncountablefigurative
A person, especially a woman, with a beautiful singing voice.
Grammar: Countable; often used figuratively.
The young singer was praised as a songbird.
She was the songbird of our choir, always hitting the high notes.
Word forms
| plural | songbirds |
|---|
Common combinations
- a songbird sings
- A songbird sang sweetly from the treetop.
- migratory songbird
- The migratory songbird travels thousands of miles each year.
- songbird population
- Songbird populations have declined in recent decades.
- native songbird
- Planting native trees helps native songbirds thrive.
Synonyms and how they differ
- songster
- Refers to a bird or person that sings, but is more literary and less common.
- warbler
- A type of small songbird; more specific, not all songbirds are warblers.
Word family
- song noun
- A musical sound produced by a bird or person.
- songful adjective
- Full of song; melodious.
Commonly confused: songbird or songbird?
songbird vs songbird
Not to be confused with 'songwriter', which refers to a person who writes songs.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'songbird' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A songbird is a bird known for its musical call, so 'melody filled the garden' fits. The other options describe actions or roles not associated with songbirds.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “songbird”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.