passerine
[ pas-er-in, -uh-rahyn, -uh-reen ]
/ ˈpæs ər ɪn, -əˌraɪn, -əˌrin /
adjective
of, belonging, or pertaining to the order Passeriformes, comprising more than half of all birds and typically having the feet adapted for perching.
noun
any bird of the order Passeriformes.
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Origin of passerine
OTHER WORDS FROM passerine
non·pas·ser·ine, adjective, nounWords nearby passerine
passe-partout, passepied, passer, passerby, passeriform, passerine, pas seul, pass-fail, pass for, passible, passifloraceous
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for passerine
British Dictionary definitions for passerine
passerine
/ (ˈpæsəˌraɪn, -ˌriːn) /
adjective
of, relating to, or belonging to the Passeriformes, an order of birds characterized by the perching habit: includes the larks, finches, crows, thrushes, starlings, etc
noun
any bird belonging to the order Passeriformes
Word Origin for passerine
C18: from Latin passer sparrow
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Scientific definitions for passerine
passerine
[ păs′ə-rīn′ ]
Belonging to the avian order Passeriformes, which includes the perching birds. Passerine birds make up more than half of all living birds. They are of small to medium size, have three toes pointing forward and one pointing back, and are often brightly colored. Larks, swallows, jays, crows, wrens, thrushes, cardinals, finches, sparrows, and blackbirds are all passerine birds.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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