sunbird

[ suhn-burd ]

/ ˈsʌnˌbɜrd /

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noun

any of various small, brilliantly colored Old World birds of the family Nectariniidae.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of sunbird

First recorded in 1790–1800; sun + bird

Words nearby sunbird

sunbeam, sun bear, sunbed, Sunbelt, sunberry, sunbird, sun bittern, sun blind, sunblock, sunbonnet, sunbow

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sunbird in a sentence

With their hot feathers, iridescent sunbirds may be especially at risk.
Sunbirds’ dazzling feathers are hot, in both senses of the word|Jake Buehler|August 17, 2021|Science News
Rogalla points out that small birds like sunbirds — vulnerable to big swings in ambient temperatures — have already perished en masse from extreme heat events.
Sunbirds’ dazzling feathers are hot, in both senses of the word|Jake Buehler|August 17, 2021|Science News
Sunbird, fly away, fly to my ancestress' house; bring me apples and pears; come back soon.
Comparative Studies in Nursery Rhymes|Lina Eckenstein
Moreover, a tiny creature such as a sunbird is almost as light as the proverbial feather.
Jungle Folk|Douglas Dewar

In conclusion, I should like to settle one disputed point in the economy of the purple sunbird (A. asiatica).
Glimpses of Indian Birds|Douglas Dewar
There is no month in the year in which I have not seen a cock purple sunbird in nuptial plumage.
Glimpses of Indian Birds|Douglas Dewar
The nest of the sunbird is one of the most wonderful pieces of architecture in the world, and it is the work of the hen alone.
Glimpses of Indian Birds|Douglas Dewar

British Dictionary definitions for sunbird

sunbird

/ (ˈsʌnˌbɜːd) /

noun

any small songbird of the family Nectariniidae, of tropical regions of the Old World, esp Africa, having a long slender curved bill and a bright plumage in the males

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