goldfinch

American  

[gohld-finch] / ˈgoʊldˌfɪntʃ /

noun

goldfinches plural

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

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

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goldfinch British  

/ ˈɡəʊldˌfɪntʃ /

noun

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

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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• goldfinches
  plural

Etymology

Origin of goldfinch

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

Example Sentences

His fateful choice that day — rescuing, or some might say stealing, a precious painting of a goldfinch — brings him solace.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2025

A male and a female goldfinch, white-breasted nuthatches, slate-colored juncos, chickadees and tufted titmice were just some we could name.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2023

You want to have the whole beautiful arrangement, neat as a goldfinch nest, set down in front of you by one of the Musket Room’s servers, who will point out the dish’s highlights.

From New York Times • Mar. 8, 2022

She showed me images of a wren nesting in a gourd, a tree frog ensconced in an orchid basket, a goldfinch taking nesting material she put out and a hummingbird supping from a canna flower.

From Washington Post • Jul. 20, 2021

Her dæmon changed yet again, and became a goldfinch, pecking at invisible crumbs on the tabletop.

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman