grosbeak

American  

[grohs-beek] / ˈgroʊsˌbik /

noun

1. any of various finches having a thick, conical bill.

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grosbeak British  

/ ˈɡrɒs-, ˈɡrəʊsˌbiːk /

noun

1. any of various finches, such as Pinicola enucleator ( pine grosbeak ), that have a massive powerful bill

2. any of various mostly tropical American buntings, such as the cardinal and pyrrhuloxia, the males of which have brightly coloured plumage

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Etymology

Origin of grosbeak

First recorded in 1670–80; partial translation of French grosbec “large bill”; gross ( def. ), beak

Example Sentences

On the corner of West 149th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, an enormous grosbeak emerges above the treetops on the wall of an old movie theater, now a church.

From Washington Post • Jul. 7, 2022

The area is home to woodpeckers like the red-breasted sapsucker and songbirds like the black-headed grosbeak, which whistles its warbled song in the shade.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 15, 2021

Other new breeding species include the eastern meadowlark, known for its sharp call; the blue grosbeak, a striking blue relative of the cardinal; and the bobolink, a bumblebee-colored blackbird that migrates 12,500 miles annually.

From New York Times • Jun. 9, 2016

Pine grosbeak typically feed on the seed cones of conifer trees, but may also utilize alders, river birch and Douglas fir.

From Washington Times • Jan. 31, 2015

The chipmunk’s shrill voice cut through the silence, and its claws scrabbled up the dresser as the cat half sprang—but recollected himself in time and slipped but of the door after the grosbeak instead.

From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford