barn swallow

American  

noun

1. a common swallow, Hirundo rustica, of North America and Eurasia, that nests in barns and similar buildings.

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barn swallow British  

noun

1. the US and Canadian name for the common swallow, Hirundo rustica See swallow 2

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Etymology

Origin of barn swallow

An Americanism dating back to 1780–90

Example Sentences

I’d always liked to watch the barn swallows soar and swoop across the sky.

From Literature

Some research also has linked insecticide use with declines in barn swallows, house martins, and swifts.

From Reuters

What harms individual baby barn swallows also operates on the scale of entire species, even ecosystems.

From Scientific American

I look up to see a mama barn swallow skitter off from her nest for more food.

From Literature

A drop-off of 3 billion North American birds in recent decades has consisted largely of insect eaters, from the whip-poor-will to redwing blackbirds and barn swallows.

From Seattle Times