any of numerous small, active songbirds of the family Troglodytidae, especially Troglodytes troglodytes, of the Northern Hemisphere, having dark-brown plumage barred with black and a short, upright tail.
any of various similar, unrelated birds, especially any of several Old World warblers.
Sir Christopher, 1632–1723, English architect.
Percival Christopher, 1885–1941, English novelist.
any small brown passerine songbird of the chiefly American family Troglodytidae, esp Troglodytes troglodytes ( wren in Britain, winter wren in the US and Canada). They have a slender bill and feed on insects
any of various similar birds of the families Muscicapidae (Australian warblers), Xenicidae (New Zealand wrens), etc
before 900; Middle English wrenn ( e ), Old English wrenna, obscurely akin to Old High German wrendilo, Old Norse rindill
First recorded in 1915–20
That tiny brown bird you see flitting past your window may be a wren, especially if it's got a tiny, upright tail. Wrens are busy little brown birds, mostly found in North and South America. Often wrens are tiny and inconspicuous, with small wings and stubby little tails, although their songs can be quite noisy and complex. The origin of the word wren isn't known beyond the fact that it was wrenna in Old English, from a Germanic root.
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The author’s first drop-in—he prefers the term “co-presence”—is a wren, who is given the run of the place and his own chapter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
As the environment warms, southern species such as the grass wren and the northern cardinal spread further north in search of a suitable climate.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2023
A bee, butterfly, ladybird, wren and robin all appear on the invite's border to symbolize the beginning of spring and Charles's dedication to sustainability.
From Salon ● Apr. 5, 2023
Nick Kanakis of the US snapped this picture of a grey-breasted wood wren – a bird that spends most of its time on the ground.
From NewsForKids.net ● Oct. 20, 2022
In the underbrush close to the trail, I saw a little wren.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
As soon as the Braves were eliminated from the 2014 postseason chase, the team fired general manager Frank Wren.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Wren, 13, adds: "It certainly works for me and my family but I think it depends on what kind of personality you have, it doesn't work for everybody."
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
Wren House’s partnership is expected to pass 500,000 households by the end of 2026 across markets including Missouri, Illinois and Rhode Island.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
“March has been obviously pretty nasty” for stocks, said Scott Wren, a senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, in a phone interview.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 31, 2026
Miss Wren held the bird at arm’s length, turning her this way and that while Miss Peregrine squirmed.
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
Even though wrens from Shetland and St Kilda look physically similar, the genetic changes linked to their evolution are mostly different.
From Science Daily ● May 28, 2026
It is one of the UK's most-loved garden birds and along with species like wrens can still be heard singing, external long after some other species go quiet.
From BBC ● Dec. 27, 2025
One day in December, Nat notices gulls, crows, starlings and wrens massing menacingly overhead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2025
The area was a major nesting site for yellow-headed black birds, red-winged black birds, marsh wrens, soras and Virginia rails.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2025
For half an hour, Pax tried—he chased scurrying voles and hopping wrens, and once a sunning frog.
From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
