Titmouse
/ˈtɪtmaʊs/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any small passerine bird mostly of the genus Baeolophus, which are found in the woods of the Northern Hemisphere and of Africa.
- 2 small insectivorous birds wordnet
Example
More examples"The Lark sings as it flies in the air, the Quail sitting on the ground; others, on the boughs of trees, such as: the Canary, the Chaffinch, the Goldfinch, the Siskin, the Linner, the little Titmouse, the Woodwall, the Robin Redbreast, the Hedge Sparrow and so on."
Etymology
From Middle English titmose, compound of tit (“small bird”) and mose, from Old English māse (“titmouse”), from Proto-West Germanic *maisā, from Proto-Germanic *maisǭ (compare Dutch mees, German Meise, Old Norse meisingr, French mésange), from *maisaz (“tiny, puny”) (compare Norwegian meis (“skinny weakling”)). Spelling as well as the plural form in imitation of the otherwise unrelated mouse.