goldfinch

[ gohld-finch ]

/ ˈgoʊldˌfɪntʃ /

noun

a European finch, Carduelis carduelis, having a crimson face and wings marked with yellow.

any of certain related American finches of the genus Carduelis, as C. tristis, the male of which has yellow body plumage in the summer.

Nearby words

Origin of goldfinch

before 1000; Middle English; Old English goldfinc. See gold, finch

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for goldfinch

Best line: “No amount of straining for high-flown uplift can disguise the fact that The Goldfinch is a turkey.”
Hatchet Job of the Year 2014 Shortlist Announced|The Telegraph|January 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Donna Tartt built her latest novel around a 350-year-old portrait of a goldfinch.
Face to Face With ‘The Goldfinch,’ the Painting from Donna Tartt’s Novel|Malcolm Jones|December 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The Goldfinch proves Tartt to be a rara avis; her own species, willingly chained to her demanding muse.
Time Bandit: Donna Tartt’s “Goldfinch”|Liesl Schillinger|October 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
To tell you the truth, she wouldn't look very much like a wren if you dressed her like a goldfinch.
The Adventures of Puss in Boots, Jr.|David Cory

Their only notes were in quality much like the goldfinch's, and hardly louder, but without his characteristic inflection.
Birds in the Bush|Bradford Torrey
The children showed me the nest of a goldfinch, near the ground, in one of the little orange-trees in front of the house.
A-Birding on a Bronco|Florence A. Merriam
I hear the greenfinch, stronger and sharper than our goldfinch, but less pleasing.
Fresh Fields|John Burroughs
The call-note is a high e-eep; its song like that of the Goldfinch but less musical.
What Bird is That?|Frank M. Chapman

British Dictionary definitions for goldfinch

goldfinch

/ (ˈɡəʊldˌfɪntʃ) /

noun

a common European finch, Carduelis carduelis, the adult of which has a red-and-white face and yellow-and-black wings

any of several North American finches of the genus Spinus, esp the yellow-and-black species S. tristis

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for goldfinch

goldfinch

from Old English goldfinc; see gold + finch.