towhee

[tou-hee, toh-hee, toh-ee]

noun

any of several long-tailed North American finches of the genera Pipilo and Chlorura.

Origin of towhee

An Americanism dating back to 1720–30; imitative

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for towhee

Historical Examples of towhee

So let us call the towhee a finch, and say no more about it.
Birds in the Bush
Bradford Torrey
Two eggs of the cowbird and two or three of the towhee in a nest are common.
Birds and all Nature, Vol. VI, No. 4, November 1899
Various
Chewink, or towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus), the "Hermit's" story, 93.
Ways of Nature
John Burroughs
Chewink: towhee, or ground-robin; to be distinguished by his loud call of “chewink” and his vigorous scratching among the leaves.
The Spring of the Year
Dallas Lore Sharp
The Chewink, or Towhee, called Nahl-tse, was instrumental in procuring the first fire.
California Athabascan Groups
Martin A. Baumhoff

British Dictionary definitions for towhee

towhee

noun

any of various North American brownish-coloured sparrows of the genera Pipilo and Chlorura

Word Origin for towhee

C18: imitative of its note

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