passerine

[ pas-er-in, -uh-rahyn, -uh-reen ]

adjective

1. of, belonging, or pertaining to the order Passeriformes, comprising more than half of all birds and typically having the feet adapted for perching.
2. oscine ( def 1 ).

noun

1. any bird of the order Passeriformes.

passerine

/ ˈpæsəˌraɪn; -ˌriːn /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the Passeriformes, an order of birds characterized by the perching habit: includes the larks, finches, crows, thrushes, starlings, etc

noun

1. any bird belonging to the order Passeriformes

passerine

/ păs′ə-rīn′ /

1. Belonging to the avian order Passeriformes, which includes the perching birds. Passerine birds make up more than half of all living birds. They are of small to medium size, have three toes pointing forward and one pointing back, and are often brightly colored. Larks, swallows, jays, crows, wrens, thrushes, cardinals, finches, sparrows, and blackbirds are all passerine birds.

Other Words From

• non·passer·ine adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of passerine¹

1770–80; < Latin passerīnus of a sparrow, equivalent to passer sparrow + -īnus -ine ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of passerine¹

C18: from Latin passer sparrow

Example Sentences

There are not more than about twenty species of small passerine birds that live all the year in London proper.

From Project Gutenberg

Strepera, strep′e-ra, n. an Australian genus of corvine passerine birds, the crow-shrikes.

From Project Gutenberg

Turdus, tur′dus, n. a genus of Passerine birds of the Turdid family, the thrushes.

From Project Gutenberg

Tyran′nid, a family of Passerine birds, the typical genus Tyran′nus, the tyrant-birds or tyrant-flycatchers.

From Project Gutenberg

The pie, the gallinaceous, the columbine and passerine tribes resort to the fruit- bearing trees.

From Project Gutenberg