chiffchaff

American  

[chif-chaf, -chahf] / ˈtʃɪfˌtʃæf, -ˌtʃɑf /

noun

1. a common, greenish Old World warbler, Phylloscopus collybita.

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chiffchaff British  

/ ˈtʃɪfˌtʃæf /

noun

1. a common European warbler, Phylloscopus collybita, with a yellowish-brown plumage

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Etymology

Origin of chiffchaff

First recorded in 1770–80; gradational compound; imitative

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chiffchaff

"When you start to hear a chiffchaff in maybe March or April you know spring is coming, and that is really exciting," she says.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

A grey partridge can be seen waiting for more chicks to hatch, while tucked away in its nest built out of tightly woven grass is a chiffchaff.

From BBC ● May 27, 2021

Many resident bird species are rising in numbers; as are short-distance migrants such as the blackcap and chiffchaff.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 2, 2020

He was the first person to identify the chiffchaff, willow warbler and woodwarbler as three distinct species based on their songs.

From The Guardian ● May 11, 2018

A chaffinch gave its little falling song and further off, high in an elm, a chiffchaff began to call.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

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