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

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.

Parrots learn to speak them soon after birth, during a transitional period of vocalizing equivalent to human baby babbling known as ‘‘subsong,’’ in order to better communicate with members of their own flocks and with other flocks.

From New York Times

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