nightingale

[ nahyt-n-geyl, nahy-ting- ]
/ ˈnaɪt nˌgeɪl, ˈnaɪ tɪŋ- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR nightingale ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any of several small, Old World, migratory birds of the thrush family, especially Luscinia megarhynchos, of Europe, noted for the melodious song of the male, given chiefly at night during the breeding season.

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decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of nightingale

1200–50; Middle English nightyngale, nasalized variant of nightegale, Old English nihtegale, cognate with German Nachtigall, literally, night singer (compare Old English galan sing; akin to yell)

Words nearby nightingale

nightfall, nightglow, nightgown, nighthawk, nightie, nightingale, nightingale ward, nightingale, florence, nightjar, nightlife, nightlong

Definition for nightingale (2 of 2)

Nightingale
[ nahyt-n-geyl, nahy-ting- ]
/ ˈnaɪt nˌgeɪl, ˈnaɪ tɪŋ- /

noun

Florencethe Lady with the Lamp,1820–1910, English nurse: reformer of hospital conditions and procedures; reorganizer of nurse's training programs.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to nightingale

artist, musician, voice, diva, soloist, crooner, vocalist, troubadour, songbird, songster, minstrel, artiste, warbler, chorister, accompanist, chanter, chanteuse, intoner, melodist, serenader

Example sentences from the Web for nightingale

British Dictionary definitions for nightingale (1 of 2)

nightingale
/ (ˈnaɪtɪŋˌɡeɪl) /

noun

a brownish European songbird, Luscinia megarhynchos, with a broad reddish-brown tail: well known for its musical song, usually heard at night
any of various similar or related birds, such as Luscinia luscinia (thrush nightingale)

Word Origin for nightingale

Old English nihtegale, literally: night-singer, from night + galan to sing

British Dictionary definitions for nightingale (2 of 2)

Nightingale
/ (ˈnaɪtɪŋˌɡeɪl) /

noun

Florence, known as the Lady with the Lamp. 1820–1910, English nurse, famous for her work during the Crimean War. She helped to raise the status and quality of the nursing profession and founded a training school for nurses in London (1860)
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

Medical definitions for nightingale

Nightingale
[ nīt′n-gāl′ ]
Florence 1820-1910

British nurse who organized (1854) and directed a unit of field nurses during the Crimean War and is considered the founder of modern nursing.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.