sparrow

American  

[spar-oh] / ˈspær oʊ /

noun

1. any of numerous American finches of the family Emberizinae.

2. any member of the Old World genus Passer, formerly thought to be closely related to the weaverbirds but now placed in their own family, Passeridae.

3. British. the house sparrow.

4. any of several other unrelated small birds.

5. Military. Sparrow, a 12-foot (4-meter), all-weather, radar-guided U.S. air-to-air missile with an 88-pound (40-kilogram) high-explosive warhead.

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sparrow British  

/ ˈspærəʊ /

noun

1. any weaverbird of the genus Passer and related genera, esp the house sparrow, having a brown or grey plumage and feeding on seeds or insects

2. any of various North American finches, such as the chipping sparrow ( Spizella passerina ), that have a dullish streaked plumage

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Other Word Forms

• sparrow-like adjective
• sparrowless adjective
• sparrowlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of sparrow

First recorded before 900; Middle English sparowe, Old English spearwa; cognate with Gothic sparwa, Old Norse spǫrr

Example Sentences

The crumbs of comfort wouldn't feed a sparrow right now.

From BBC

Nuthatches, warblers, sparrows, and the occasional wood dove—perfectly acceptable birds all, to be sure, but where were the sage and mysterious owls?

From Literature

"There's a guarantee of hot and cold running pigeons and sparrows all year round. So food's laid on for them."

From BBC

Back on the island, Brightbill had practiced flying like hawks and owls and sparrows and vultures.

From Literature

Fish and Wildlife also allows two other invasive non-game birds — the English sparrow and the European starling — to be killed by licensed hunters, according to the release.

From Los Angeles Times