grosbeak

/'grousbi:k/

Thân thiện

A grosbeak perches on a branch, cracking open a sunflower seed.

Definition

Noun: A type of small to medium-sized songbird belonging to the finch family (Fringillidae) or the cardinal family (Cardinalidae), characterized by a very large, thick, conical, and powerful beak, which is adapted for cracking hard seeds.

Usage

The word "grosbeak" is a common name used for several species of birds. It is typically used in ornithology, birdwatching, and general descriptive contexts. The defining feature is always the notably large beak.

Examples

• The Evening Grosbeak is a colorful bird that often visits backyard feeders in winter.
• We spotted a Rose-breasted Grosbeak singing from the top of the maple tree.
• The Pine Grosbeak has a beak so massive it seems almost too large for its head.
• His field guide helped him identify the bird as a type of grosbeak.

Advanced Usage

• Collective Use: The term can be used collectively to refer to birds of this type.
  • Several grosbeaks were feeding on the sunflower seeds.
• Descriptive Modifiers: The name is often combined with a descriptive prefix to specify the species (e.g., , ). These are treated as proper compound nouns.

Variants and Related Words

• Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes): The specific name for the European grosbeak.
• Cardinalidae: The biological family that includes the North American grosbeaks like the Rose-breasted and Blue Grosbeak.

Synonyms

• Hawfinch (specifically for the European species).
• Thick-billed finch (a descriptive synonym, though not a formal common name).

Notes on Different Meanings

The word "grosbeak" refers specifically to birds with the described physical characteristic. It does not have other unrelated meanings. All usage relates to ornithology.

Học thuật

Noun

1. any of various finches of Europe or America having a massive and powerful bill

Từ đồng nghĩa

• grossbeak