kinglet

[king-lit]

noun

a king ruling over a small country or territory.
any of several small, greenish, crested birds of the genus Regulus.

Compare goldcrest, golden-crowned kinglet, ruby-crowned kinglet.

Origin of kinglet

First recorded in 1595–1605; king + -let

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for kinglet

Historical Examples of kinglet

The kinglet was the least of all,—a sort of "hop-o'-my-thumb" bird.
The Wit of a Duck and Other Papers
John Burroughs
In Coahuila this subspecies of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet is a common migrant.
Birds from Coahuila, Mexico
Emil K. Urban
The kinglet hesitated, and then jabbed the fat man with his sceptre.
John Dough and the Cherub
L. Frank Baum
"You have my permission to make mince-meat of him," replied the kinglet, cheerfully.
John Dough and the Cherub
L. Frank Baum
The kinglet looked upon the stranger with a kindly expression.
John Dough and the Cherub
L. Frank Baum

British Dictionary definitions for kinglet

kinglet

noun

often derogatory the king of a small or insignificant territory
US and Canadian any of various small warblers of the genus Regulus, having a black-edged yellow crown: family Muscicapidae

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