sparrow

[spar-oh]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

any of numerous American finches of the family Emberizinae.
any member of the Old World genus Passer, formerly thought to be closely related to the weaverbirds but now placed in their own family, Passeridae.
British.��the house sparrow.
any of several other unrelated small birds.
Military.��Sparrow, a 12-foot (4-meter), all-weather, radar-guided U.S. air-to-air missile with an 88-pound (40-kilogram) high-explosive warhead.

sparrow

/ ˈ��æ��əʊ /

noun

any weaverbird of the genus Passer and related genera, esp the house sparrow, having a brown or grey plumage and feeding on seeds or insects
any of various North American finches, such as the chipping sparrow ( Spizella passerina ), that have a dullish streaked plumage

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Other Word Forms

sparrowless adjective
sparrowlike adjective
ˈ��貹��Ƿ�-ˌ�� adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of sparrow¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English sparowe, Old English spearwa; cognate with Gothic sparwa, Old Norse ��ǫ��

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Word History and Origins

Origin of sparrow¹

Old English spearwa; related to Old Norse ��ö��, Old High German sparo

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

This book really changed my opinion on house sparrows.

From

I regularly overhear other birders marveling over the flashy warblers in breeding plumage, while overlooking other comparatively less-flashy birds like vireos and sparrows.

From

This year it dropped from third to fourth place behind the tree sparrow, the blue tit and the wood pigeon.

From

Mr and Mrs Towndrow, from Cardiff, met 30 years ago, having two children and amassing a number of pets including dogs, cats and even a sparrow.

From

“Urban birds” associated with humans, such as pigeons, European starlings and house sparrows, will likely continue to survive.

From

sparring partner sparrowfart

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