English sparrow
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of English sparrow
An Americanism dating back to 1875–80
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Fish and Wildlife also allows two other invasive non-game birds — the English sparrow and the European starling — to be killed by licensed hunters, according to the release.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2025
Biological Survey: "The English sparrow among birds, like the rat among mammals, is cunning, destructive and filthy."
From Time Magazine Archive
Officials of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences discussed the problem at length, finally sent to England for an urban bird: the English sparrow.
From Time Magazine Archive
The U.S. has a whole catalogue of gifts bestowed on it by the Old World�the horse, borsch, Rudolf Bing, pizza, trial by jury, Pfannkuchen, the English sparrow and crab grass.
From Time Magazine Archive
He is shorter than the English sparrow by an inch.
From Birds Every Child Should Know by Blanchan, Neltje
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
