titmouse

American  

[tit-mous] / ˈtɪtˌmaʊs /

noun

plural

titmice

1. any of numerous, widely distributed, small songbirds of the family Paridae, especially of the genus Parus, having soft, thick plumage and a short, stout, conical bill.

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titmouse British  

/ ˈtɪtˌmaʊs /

noun

1. (usually plural) any small active songbird of the family Paridae, esp those of the genus Parus See tit 1

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Etymology

Origin of titmouse

1275–1325; Middle English tit ( e ) mose ( tit ¹ ); mose, Old English māse titmouse; cognate with German Meise titmouse, Old Norse meis- in meisingr kind of bird; modern mouse by folk etymology

Example Sentences

They concluded that in agricultural areas, species of greater conservation concern, like the oak titmouse, would see worse outcomes than species of lower concern, like the house sparrow.

From Seattle Times

“I am happy when I watch a tufted titmouse, nuthatch or any other bird fly to one of my feeders and chow down on a big fat nut or seed,” wrote Donna McDowell of Gaithersburg.

From Washington Post

The show opens with John, a 50-ish scientist, saying, “Tufted titmouse.”

From Washington Post

However, a new study, published last week in the journal Ecology, shows that several species of bird, including chickadees and titmice, don’t just scavenge hair, they steal it.

From New York Times

In front of the lodge, more than a dozen feeders were filled with bridled titmouse, cartoonish acorn woodpeckers, thick-billed, black-headed grosbeaks and gregarious pine siskins.

From New York Times