chickadee

American  

[chik-uh-dee] / ˈtʃɪk əˌdi /

noun

1. 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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chickadee British  

/ ˈtʃɪkəˌdiː /

noun

1. 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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Etymology

Origin of chickadee

First recorded in 1820–30; imitative

Compare meaning

How does chickadee compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• nuthatch vs. chickadee

Example Sentences

In warm weather, it’s alive with nuthatches, chickadees, sometimes a downy woodpecker.

From Seattle Times

If only you had the memory of a mountain chickadee.

From Science Daily

The chickadee flew in to replace a license plate featuring a crustacean that critics said looked more like a cooked crawdad than a Maine lobster, the state’s signature seafood.

From Seattle Times

Other studies found that normally solitary bushbabies were more social on the streets of Pretoria, and urbanized mountain chickadees were more bold in the face of simulated predators in British Columbia.

From National Geographic

Extreme snow oscillations also affect insects that are critical for feeding chickadee chicks.

From Los Angeles Times