subsong

American

[suhb-sawng, -song] / ˈsʌbˌsɔŋ, -ˌsɒŋ /

noun

an unstructured, often rambling vocalization of low volume heard in young birds and, at the start of the breeding season, in adult birds of certain species.

subsong British

/ ˈsʌbˌsɒŋ /

noun

a subdued form of birdsong modified from the full territorial song and used by some birds esp in courtship

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of subsong

sub- + song

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023