robin
1 Americannoun
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any of several small Old World birds having a red or reddish breast, especially Erithacus rubecula, of Europe.
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a large American thrush, Turdus migratorius, having a chestnut-red breast and abdomen.
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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.
noun
noun
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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
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a North American thrush, Turdus migratorius , similar to but larger than the Old World robin
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any of various similar birds having a reddish breast
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.
Vocabulary lists containing robin
Birds, Birds, Birds, List 2
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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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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.