yellowhammer
- a small European bunting (Emberiza citrinella) having a yellow head, neck, and breast
- yellow-shafted flicker
Origin of yellowhammer
altered by folk etymology from earlier yelambre from Old English geolu, yellow + amore, a kind of bird, akin to Old High German amaro, emmer, a kind of finch that fed on emmeryellowhammer
noun
- A small bunting (Emberiza citrinella) native to Eurasia and northern Africa and introduced into New Zealand, having bright yellow plumage on the head, neck, and breast.
- See yellow-shafted flicker.
Origin of yellowhammer
By folk etymology from earlier yelambre perhaps from Middle English yelwambre yelow yellow ; see yellow . Old English amore a kind of birdyellowhammer
