distelfink

[dis-tl-fingk]

noun

1. a stylized bird motif traditional in Pennsylvania Dutch art.

Word History and Origins

Origin of distelfink¹

First recorded in 1935–1940; standard German spelling of Pennsylvania Dutch dischdelfink “goldfinch” ( Carduelis carduelis ), equivalent to dischdel thistle + fink finch

Example Sentences

But every time you see a star on the side of a barn, or a distelfink, one of those brightly colored birds that adorn Pennsylvania-Dutch art and souvenirs, you’re looking at a symbol full of magical significance to powwowers.

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Twelve-year-old spelling whiz Arvind Mahankali of Bayside, Queens, barely bats an eyelash at words like distelfink, phrontistery, opodeldoc and uayeb, all of which he has successfully dispatched at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, where he placed third last week, the second time in two years.

Read more on New York Times