sparrow Hear it!

sparrow Definition

spar·row (spar′ō)

noun

  1. any of a family (Passeridae) of Old World passerine birds, including the English sparrow
  2. any of various New World passerine birds (family Emberizidae), including the song sparrow and white-throated sparrow
  3. any of several other similar birds, as the hedge or Java sparrows

Etymology: ME sparwe < OE spearwa, akin to MHG sparwe < IE base *sper-, bird name, esp. for sparrow > Gr sporgilos, sparrow, psar, starling

sparrow Synonyms

sparrow

n.

Types of sparrows include: Belding, Bell, black-chinned, chipping, Brewer, desert, English, Fox, Gambel, golden-crowned, Lincoln, rufous-crowned, swamp, song, silver-tongue, field, house, rock, tree, vesper, western lark, white-crowned, white-throated, yellow-throated;

sparrow Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • sell: Intro Text " Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?
  • kill: To kill a sparrow or to have one fly into a house is considered unlucky too.
  • watch: Jude watched the little sparrows, scratching about under the bushes.
  • say: Quot said sparrow wooden crosses to decor to recall.
  • see: She said she saw a sparrow flying away with its wings on fire.
  • include: A Sparrowhawk's favorite food is small birds, including sparrows, hence the name.

Adjective modifier

  • grey-headed: However, the Grey-headed Sparrows nesting in rafters of the lodge were very accommodating!
  • Eurasian: Stopped at a feeding station to observe Asian Rosy Finches and Eurasian Tree Sparrows.
  • Spanish: Spanish sparrow: replaced above sp in rural areas.
  • tree: At the same place we also had views of 2 Tree Sparrows.
  • male: Click to enlarge Male house sparrow on nest box This image brings back strong memories for me.
  • little: Then we understood for which little sparrow she was digging a grave.

Modifies a noun

  • hawk: More recently, we have had a sparrow hawk visit.
  • nest: Tree sparrow nest with chicks © Rob Field Examination of chick diet.
  • population: Also in Southdown we have quite a healthy house sparrow population.

Noun used with modifier

  • tree: Tree Sparrows were seen around the farm during the month.
  • jack: Ryan O'Neill Fantastic site and Forum Board Keep up the great work jack sparrow 1 of the best teams in the north east.
  • house: Help to halt the decline in house sparrows by building the bird nesting box below.
  • rock: Rock sparrow Few seen in rocky areas, an amazing nest hole 1km along the IP side road.
  • song: Song Sparrows are found = throughout the United States and into Southern Canada.
sparrow Quotes

The brawling of a sparrow in the eaves, The brilliant moon and all the milky sky, And all that famous harmony of leaves, Has blotted out man's image and his cry.

—Yeats,W(illiam) B(utler)

   Who sees with equal eye, as God of all, A hero perish, or a sparrow fall, Atoms or systems into ruin hurled, And now a bubble burst, and now a world.

—Pope, Alexander

How amiable are thy tabernacles,O L of hosts! 96 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the L: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Yea, thesparrow hath found anhouse, and theswallowa nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars,O L of hosts, my King, and my God.

—Bible (Old Testament)

Talis, inquiens, mihi videtur, rex, vita hominum praesens in terris, ad comparationem eius, quod nobis incertum est, temporis, quale cum te residente, ad caenam cum ducibus ac ministris tuis tempore brumale†adveniens unus passerum domum citissime, pervolaverit; qui cum per unum ostium ingrediens, mox per aliud exierit. Ipso quidem tempore, quo intus est, hiemis tempestate non tangitur, sed tamen parvissimo spatio serenitatis ad momentum excurso, mox de hieme in hiemem regrediens, tuis oculis elabitur. Ita haec vita hominum ad modicum apparet; quid autem sequatur, quidve praecesserit, prorsus ignoramus. 'Such,' he said,'O King, seems to me the present life of menon earth, incomparisonwiththattimewhichtousis uncertain, as if when on a winter's night you sit feasting with your ealdormen and thegnsöa single sparrow should flyswiftly intothehall, and coming inat one door, instantly flyoutthrough another.Inthattime inwhichit is indoorsit isindeed nottouched by thefuryofthewinter, and yet, this smallest space of calmness being passed almost in a flash, from winter going into winter again, it is lost to your eyes. Somewhat like this appears the life of man; but of what follows or what went before, we are utterly ignorant.'

—Bede known as  'theVenerable'