robin
1 Americannoun
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any of several small Old World birds having a red or reddish breast, especially Erithacus rubecula, of Europe.
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a large American thrush, Turdus migratorius, having a chestnut-red breast and abdomen.
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any of several similar thrushes of the New World tropics, not necessarily having reddish underparts, as T. grayi clay-colored robin, of Mexico and Central America.
noun
noun
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Also called: robin redbreast. a small Old World songbird, Erithacus rubecula , related to the thrushes: family Muscicapidae . The male has a brown back, orange-red breast and face, and grey underparts
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a North American thrush, Turdus migratorius , similar to but larger than the Old World robin
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any of various similar birds having a reddish breast
Etymology
Origin of robin
First recorded in 1540–50; short for robin redbreast
Explanation
The sweet-sounding, red-chested birds that symbolize the beginning of spring are robins. There are actually many different birds called robins, and while most share a reddish-orange breast, they're actually distantly related to each other. In the U.S., the bird we think of as a robin is officially the American robin, a kind of thrush. It's the most common land bird in North America, and it's famous for laying eggs very early in the spring — and singing at the crack of dawn. The robin's most deadly predator is the domesticated cat.
Vocabulary lists containing robin
Birds, Birds, Birds, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Self-funded wealthy candidates have been a part of American politics for decades, said Robin Kolodny, a Temple University professor of political science with an expertise in campaign finance.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026
The top seed will hope to avoid the same fate as Nadal 17 years ago, when the four-time defending champion fell in the fourth round to Robin Soderling in one of the tournament's biggest-ever upsets.
From BBC • May 26, 2026
Her father secures a farm job on land nearby, and as Robin’s family settles into the meager accommodation provided for laborers, Robin sneaks off to probe the secrets of the great house.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
We visited on a sunny day, and the wind blew hard as we traced Mina and Lucy’s steps through the tombs and along the path past the Abbey toward Robin Hood’s Bay.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
Sookie and the biologists rocked the shark, moving her just slightly to help Robin take the measurements.
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
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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.