sand martin

American  

noun

British.

1. the bank swallow.

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sand martin British  

noun

1. a small brown European songbird, Riparia riparia, with white underparts: it nests in tunnels bored in sand, river banks, etc: family Hirundinidae (swallows and martins)

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Etymology

Origin of sand martin

First recorded in 1660–70

Example Sentences

In “Homecomings,” Heaney describes returning home, where he watches a sand martin gambol along a riverbank.

From Washington Post • Jan. 27, 2022

Most likely to be either a sand martin or house martin.

From The Guardian • Jul. 16, 2010