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  • wren
    wren
    noun
    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.
  • Wren
    Wren
    noun
    a member of the Wrens.
Synonyms

wren

1 American  
[ren] / rɛn /

noun

  • wrens
    plural
  1. 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.

  2. any of various similar, unrelated birds, especially any of several Old World warblers.


Wren 2 American  
[ren] / rɛn /

noun

(sometimes lowercase)
  1. a member of the Wrens.


Wren 3 American  
[ren] / rɛn /

noun

  1. Sir Christopher, 1632–1723, English architect.

  2. Percival Christopher, 1885–1941, English novelist.


wren 1 British  
/ rɛn /

noun

  1. 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

  2. any of various similar birds of the families Muscicapidae (Australian warblers), Xenicidae (New Zealand wrens), etc

"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

Wren 2 British  
/ rɛn /

noun

  1. informal history (in Britain and certain other nations) a member of the former Women's Royal Naval Service

"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

Wren 3 British  
/ rɛn /

noun

  1. Sir Christopher. 1632–1723, English architect. He designed St Paul's Cathedral and over 50 other London churches after the Great Fire as well as many secular buildings

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of wren1

before 900; Middle English wrenn ( e ), Old English wrenna, obscurely akin to Old High German wrendilo, Old Norse rindill

Origin of Wren2

First recorded in 1915–20


Explanation

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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing wren

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.

See Examples For:

Then she was quiet for a moment, watching a Carolina wren pop in and out of a gourd it was using for a nest.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

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

There was nothing except the keening wind and the rasping call of a cactus wren somewhere in the rocks.

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

Check out: If you’re sleeping in 29 Palms, the 29 Palms Inn is the historic choice, the Hotel Wren 29 Palms is the quiet, upscale, stylish choice and Ramsey 29 is the boutique motel choice.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

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

Keen eight-year-old fan Wren was not supposed to be up for England's late-night fixture, but mum Jess Clark told the BBC she couldn't resist waking him to celebrate.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

Wells Fargo Investment Institute is overweight financials, as well as tech, industrial and utilities, Scott Wren, the firm’s senior global market strategist, told MarketWatch in an interview.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 12, 2026

Agent Wren made his own inroads, attending tribal gatherings and gleaning information from Osage who might not otherwise talk to a white lawman.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

In a brief preface Mr. Hoffman has also told us about wrens colonizing an abandoned swallows’ nest above the door of the house he shares with his wife, Julia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

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

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

"The ground nesting birds, like the skylarks and the meadow pipits, the wrens and stonechats, they'll have lost their nests and eggs."

From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2025

It’s a shame, too, because all Lourdes ever sees in Brooklyn is dull little wrens or those filthy pigeons.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

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