passerine

[ pas-er-in, -uh-rahyn, -uh-reen ]

adjective
  1. of, belonging, or pertaining to the order Passeriformes, comprising more than half of all birds and typically having the feet adapted for perching.

noun
  1. any bird of the order Passeriformes.

Origin of passerine

1
1770–80; <Latin passerīnus of a sparrow, equivalent to passer sparrow + -īnus-ine1

Other words from passerine

  • non·pas·ser·ine, adjective, noun

Words Nearby passerine

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How to use passerine in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for passerine

passerine

/ (ˈpæsəˌraɪn, -ˌriːn) /


adjective
  1. of, relating to, or belonging to the Passeriformes, an order of birds characterized by the perching habit: includes the larks, finches, crows, thrushes, starlings, etc

noun
  1. any bird belonging to the order Passeriformes

Origin of passerine

1
C18: from Latin passer sparrow

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for passerine

passerine

[ păsə-rīn′ ]


  1. Belonging to the avian order Passeriformes, which includes the perching birds. Passerine birds make up more than half of all living birds. They are of small to medium size, have three toes pointing forward and one pointing back, and are often brightly colored. Larks, swallows, jays, crows, wrens, thrushes, cardinals, finches, sparrows, and blackbirds are all passerine birds.

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