siskin

American  

[sis-kin] / ˈsɪs kɪn /

noun

1. any of several small, cardueline finches, especially Carduelis spinus, of Europe.

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siskin British  

/ ˈsɪskɪn /

noun

1. a yellow-and-black Eurasian finch, Carduelis spinus

2. a North American finch, Spinus pinus, having a streaked yellowish-brown plumage

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Etymology

Origin of siskin

First recorded in 1555–65; from Middle Dutch sijsken, equivalent to sijs (from Middle Low German czītze, from Slavic; compare Sorbian cyž, Czech číž, Polish czyż “siskin,” ultimately imitative of the sound) + -ken diminutive suffix; -kin

Example Sentences

As of this writing, it’s logged 194 house finch visits, 83 California towhee drop-bys, 5 squirrel sorties and a lone pine siskin pop in.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 11, 2023

It is completely silent except for the shrieks of siskin in the canopy.

From The Guardian • Mar. 6, 2020

It should have shown a pine siskin and reported that a pine siskin blasted out a call over traffic sounds in the park.

From Washington Post

A pine siskin appears to react to the car noise by blasting out a call — see the thick red vertical smear about three-quarters of the way across the image — spanning many frequencies.

From Washington Post

After a moment the intrepid siskin opened its eyes and shivered, coming back to life.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols