Bohemian waxwing

noun

See under waxwing.

Origin of Bohemian waxwing

First recorded in 1835–45

waxwing

[waks-wing]

noun

any of several songbirds of the family Bombycillidae, having a showy crest and certain feathers tipped with a red, waxy material, as Bombycilla garrulus (Bohemian waxwing), of the Northern Hemisphere.

Origin of waxwing

First recorded in 1810–20; wax¹ + wing

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for bohemian waxwing

waxwing

noun

any of several gregarious passerine songbirds of the genus Bombycilla, esp B. garrulus, having red waxy wing tips and crested heads: family Bombycillidae

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

Word Origin and History for bohemian waxwing

waxwing

1817, from wax (n.) + wing (n.). So called for appendages at the tips of its feathers which look like red sealing-wax.