any of numerous small, active songbirds of the family Troglodytidae, especially Troglodytes troglodytes, of the Northern Hemisphere, having dark-brown plumage barred with black and a short, upright tail.
any of various similar, unrelated birds, especially any of several Old World warblers.
Sir Christopher, 1632–1723, English architect.
Percival Christopher, 1885–1941, English novelist.
any small brown passerine songbird of the chiefly American family Troglodytidae, esp Troglodytes troglodytes ( wren in Britain, winter wren in the US and Canada). They have a slender bill and feed on insects
any of various similar birds of the families Muscicapidae (Australian warblers), Xenicidae (New Zealand wrens), etc
before 900; Middle English wrenn ( e ), Old English wrenna, obscurely akin to Old High German wrendilo, Old Norse rindill
First recorded in 1915–20
That tiny brown bird you see flitting past your window may be a wren, especially if it's got a tiny, upright tail. Wrens are busy little brown birds, mostly found in North and South America. Often wrens are tiny and inconspicuous, with small wings and stubby little tails, although their songs can be quite noisy and complex. The origin of the word wren isn't known beyond the fact that it was wrenna in Old English, from a Germanic root.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Then she was quiet for a moment, watching a Carolina wren pop in and out of a gourd it was using for a nest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
His Afghanistan medals and photographs sit on a cabinet, with a picture of a wren adorning a wall.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2024
As the environment warms, southern species such as the grass wren and the northern cardinal spread further north in search of a suitable climate.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2023
A bee, butterfly, ladybird, wren and robin all appear on the invite's border to symbolize the beginning of spring and Charles's dedication to sustainability.
From Salon ● Apr. 5, 2023
Not the meek peep of a wren chick.
From "Wishtree" by Katherine Applegate
“But the underlying churn — with stocks down and the S&P 500 not very much off its high — that’s very much a good thing,” Wren said in an interview.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
The broadband provider is entering partnerships with Oak Hill Capital and Wren House for the deals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026
Previous banknotes have pictured other national figures including novelist Charles Dickens, physicist and chemist Michael Faraday, composer Edward Elgar, nurse Florence Nightingale and architect Christopher Wren.
From Barron's ● Mar. 12, 2026
Waugh began building Little Wren in early 2022, spending two years constructing the yacht in his shed at home, before she was launched at Amble Marina in March 2024 for sea trials.
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026
“But, Miss Wren, that’s hardly fair,” Millard began, but she cut him short with a curt “I won’t hear anything else about it!” and that was that.
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
Researchers discovered especially striking examples of "island gigantism" in wrens from Shetland and St Kilda.
From Science Daily ● May 28, 2026
One day in December, Nat notices gulls, crows, starlings and wrens massing menacingly overhead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2025
The area was a major nesting site for yellow-headed black birds, red-winged black birds, marsh wrens, soras and Virginia rails.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2025
"The ground nesting birds, like the skylarks and the meadow pipits, the wrens and stonechats, they'll have lost their nests and eggs."
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2025
Tiny wrens and sparrows hopped around the yard and fluttered up to the bird feeder on the fencepost.
From "Wish" by Barbara O'Connor
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
