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  • robin
    robin
    noun
    any of several small Old World birds having a red or reddish breast, especially Erithacus rubecula, of Europe.
  • Robin
    Robin
    noun
    a male or female given name: derived from Robert.

robin

1 American  
[rob-in] / ˈrɒb ɪn /

noun

robins plural
  1. any of several small Old World birds having a red or reddish breast, especially Erithacus rubecula, of Europe.

  2. a large American thrush, Turdus migratorius, having a chestnut-red breast and abdomen.

  3. any of several similar thrushes of the New World tropics, not necessarily having reddish underparts, as T. grayi clay-colored robin, of Mexico and Central America.


Robin 2 American  
[rob-in] / ˈrɒb ɪn /

noun

  1. a male or female given name: derived from Robert.


robin British  
/ ˈrɒbɪn /

noun

  1. Also called: robin redbreast.  a small Old World songbird, Erithacus rubecula , related to the thrushes: family Muscicapidae . The male has a brown back, orange-red breast and face, and grey underparts

  2. a North American thrush, Turdus migratorius , similar to but larger than the Old World robin

  3. any of various similar birds having a reddish breast

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of robin

First recorded in 1540–50; short for robin redbreast

Explanation

The sweet-sounding, red-chested birds that symbolize the beginning of spring are robins. There are actually many different birds called robins, and while most share a reddish-orange breast, they're actually distantly related to each other. In the U.S., the bird we think of as a robin is officially the American robin, a kind of thrush. It's the most common land bird in North America, and it's famous for laying eggs very early in the spring — and singing at the crack of dawn. The robin's most deadly predator is the domesticated cat.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Self-funded wealthy candidates have been a part of American politics for decades, said Robin Kolodny, a Temple University professor of political science with an expertise in campaign finance.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026

“This conveys a cinematic intelligence,” he said in the video, discussing the program’s uses with Black Forest Labs co-founder and Chief Executive Robin Rombach and Creative Artists Agency co-founder Michael Ovitz.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

In terms of shock factor, it is reminiscent of Rafael Nadal's fourth-round exit at the hands of Robin Soderling in 2009 – his first defeat at Roland Garros in his fifth appearance.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

In March, Reuters confirmed the artist was born Robin Gunningham and now legally goes by David Jones.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

The second I open the door to Mom’s room, Robin darts downstairs.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

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