Dictionary.com
definitions
  • synonyms

dickcissel

[dik-sis-uh l]
noun
  1. a bunting, Spiza americana, of the eastern and central U.S., having a brownish back streaked with black and a yellowish breast and in the male a black patch on the throat.
Show More

Origin of dickcissel

First recorded in 1885–90; said to be imitative of its call
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for dickcissel

Historical Examples

  • Still the dickcissel, the lark sparrow and the indigo bunting continued their trio.

    Some Summer Days in Iowa

    Frederick John Lazell

  • On the other hand, the only typical prairie bird that breeds on the Reservation is the dickcissel (Spiza americana).

  • The opening syllabication is like dickcissel's; then follows a trill of no specially definable character.

    Birds of the Rockies

    Leander Sylvester Keyser

  • The Dickcissel, Spiza americana, possesses certain features which merit special discussion.