sparrow

American  

[spar-oh] / ˈspær oʊ /

noun

• sparrows
  plural

1. any of numerous American finches of the family Emberizinae.

2. any member of the Old World genus Passer, formerly thought to be closely related to the weaverbirds but now placed in their own family, Passeridae.

3. British. the house sparrow.

4. any of several other unrelated small birds.

5. Military. Sparrow, a 12-foot (4-meter), all-weather, radar-guided U.S. air-to-air missile with an 88-pound (40-kilogram) high-explosive warhead.

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sparrow British  

/ ˈspærəʊ /

noun

1. any weaverbird of the genus Passer and related genera, esp the house sparrow, having a brown or grey plumage and feeding on seeds or insects

2. any of various North American finches, such as the chipping sparrow ( Spizella passerina ), that have a dullish streaked plumage

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• sparrow-like
  adjective
• sparrowless
  adjective
• sparrowlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sparrows
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sparrow

First recorded before 900; Middle English sparowe, Old English spearwa; cognate with Gothic sparwa, Old Norse spǫrr

Explanation

A sparrow is a small brown bird. Sparrows live near humans and have a pretty, musical song. A sparrow is a different bird in the US than it is in other parts of the world. A "true sparrow" is found mainly in Europe, where it commonly nests in the eaves of buildings and in trees in cities. American sparrows got their name because they resemble true sparrows at first glance — they're both small, round, brownish birds — but they're from completely different families.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sparrow sparrows

We may be shocked to find the sparrow in this book of threatened birds because, as Mr. Macfarlane writes, “it’s hard to be lonely with sparrows around.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

The crumbs of comfort wouldn't feed a sparrow right now.

From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2025

So I’m curious, do you still have sparrow beef?

From Salon ● Apr. 29, 2025

Fish and Wildlife Service celebrated delisting the San Clemente Bell’s sparrow and four plant species — the largest group delisting from population recovery in the 50-year history of the Endangered Species Act.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2024

Matthias tested the knot apprehensively as the sparrow told him what she proposed to do.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

The birds are sparrows and house martins, arrived from North Africa seeking shelter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

"There's a guarantee of hot and cold running pigeons and sparrows all year round. So food's laid on for them."

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2025

On Tuesday morning in Logan Circle, where some of those arrests were made, I saw a middle-aged man on a bicycle throwing rice to the sparrows.

From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2025

In contrast, sparrows, which depend on human food waste, nearly vanished from high-rise areas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2025

Up there on a branch, barely spitting distance away, little sparrows rested dry and warm, having food brought to them in the comfort of a nest built by their mother.

From "Touching Spirit Bear" by Ben Mikaelsen