finch

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See also: Finch

English

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A finch, Fringilla coelebs

Etymology

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    From Middle English fynch, from Old English finċ, from Proto-Germanic *finkiz (compare Dutch vink, German Fink), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pingos (chaffinch). Compare Welsh pinc (finch), Ancient Greek σπίγγος (spíngos, chaffinch), Russian пе́нка (pénka, wren), Sanskrit फिङ्गक (phiṅgaka, drongo, shrike).

    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    finch (plural finches)

    1. Any Eurasian goldfinch (of species Carduelis carduelis, syn. Fringilla carduelis).
    2. Any bird of the family Fringillidae, seed-eating passerine birds, native chiefly to the Northern Hemisphere and usually having a conical beak.
    3. Any bird of other families of similar appearance to members of family Fringillidae.

    Derived terms

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    Translations

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    See also

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    Verb

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    finch (third-person singular simple present finches, present participle finching, simple past and past participle finched)

    1. To hunt for finches, to go finching.

    References

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    Middle English

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    Noun

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    finch

    1. Alternative form of fynch