seed-eater

seed-eater

A small seed-eater perches on a branch, cracking open a sunflower seed.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • A bird that feeds primarily on seeds: "seed-eater" refers to any bird species whose diet consists mainly of seeds, such as finches, sparrows, or canaries.
Usage Examples
  • (A bird that eats seeds.)
  • (Birds that consume seeds.)
Advanced Usage
  • "to be a seed-eater": used metaphorically to describe an animal or person with a diet focused on seeds.

    • In the wild, many rodents are also seed-eaters, storing seeds for winter. (Animals that rely on seeds for nutrition.)
  • "seed-eating bird": a descriptive phrase synonymous with "seed-eater."

    • The sparrow is a typical seed-eating bird in urban areas. (A bird that consumes seeds as its primary food.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Seed-eating (adj): describing the habit or characteristic of eating seeds.

    • Seed-eating behavior is common among passerine birds. (The practice of consuming seeds.)
  • Seed (n): the small, hard part of a plant from which a new plant grows.

    • Birds that are seed-eaters help disperse seeds through their droppings. (The part of a plant eaten.)
Synonyms
  • Granivore: a scientific term for an animal that eats seeds.

    • Granivores like finches have strong beaks for cracking seeds. (A seed-eating animal.)
  • Seed consumer: a general term for any organism that feeds on seeds.

    • Many seed consumers are important for plant regeneration. (Animals that eat seeds.)
Related Idioms
  • "A seed-eater's diet": a phrase used to describe a simple, grain-based diet.

    • The farmer's chickens are seed-eaters, living mostly on corn and wheat. (A diet consisting mainly of seeds.)
  • "To live like a seed-eater": a metaphorical expression meaning to subsist on basic, plain food.

    • During the famine, they had to live like seed-eaters, surviving on whatever grains they could find. (To survive on a minimal diet of seeds.)