finch

American  

[finch] / fɪntʃ /

noun

1. any of numerous small passerine birds of the family Fringillidae, including the buntings, sparrows, crossbills, purple finches, and grosbeaks, most of which have a short, conical bill adapted for eating seeds.

2. any of various nonfringilline birds, especially the weaverbirds of the family Ploceidae and the tropical members of the subfamily Emberizinae.

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finch British  

/ fɪntʃ /

noun

1. any songbird of the family Fringillidae , having a short stout bill for feeding on seeds and, in most species, a bright plumage in the male. Common examples are the goldfinch, bullfinch, chaffinch, siskin, and canary

2. any of various similar or related birds

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Etymology

Origin of finch

before 900; Middle English; Old English finc; cognate with Dutch vink, German Fink; akin to Greek spíngos finch

Example Sentences

A comparable pattern can be seen in Darwin's finches on the Galápagos Islands, which adapted to different food sources over time.

From Science Daily

In the middle, a small finch was desperately trying to free his legs, but the more it moved, the more its claws became tangled.

From BBC

However, experiments in birds like the zebra finch help provide some answers as to why this species sings.

From Salon

Now, house finches, for instance, they have a really terrible disease that’s like pink eye, and it’s really taking them down.

From Salon

On a recent morning, Shultz opened a wooden tray to reveal rows of house finches, a palm-sized bird commonly found in Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times