black-capped chickadee
[blak-kapt]
- See under chickadee.
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Origin of black-capped chickadee
An Americanism dating back to 1870–75
chickadee
[chik-uh-dee]
- any of several North American birds of the genus Parus, of the titmouse family, especially P. atricapillus (black-capped chickadee), having the throat and top of the head black.
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Origin of chickadee
First recorded in 1820–30; imitative
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
chickadee
- any of various small North American songbirds of the genus Parus, such as P. atricapillus (black-capped chickadee), typically having grey-and-black plumage: family Paridae (titmice)
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Word Origin for chickadee
C19: imitative of its note
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for black-capped chickadee
chickadee
black-capped titmouse, 1834, American English, echoic of its cry.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper