Grassquit

/ˈɡrɑːskwɪt/ noun

Definition

A small tropical bird of the Caribbean and South America, belonging to the tanager family.

Etymology

From 'grass' combined with 'quit,' an imitation of the bird's call or song. The name directly references the bird's characteristic sound and its tendency to forage in grassy areas.

Kelly Says

The grassquit is one of those birds where the name is almost onomatopoeia—early naturalists literally named it after the sound it makes, which is how many animals got their charming old-fashioned common names.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.