junco

[ juhng-koh ]

noun,plural jun·cos.

any of several small North American finches of the genus Junco.

Origin of junco

1700–10; <Spanish: rush, bird found in rush beds <Latin juncus rush

Also called snowbird.

Compare dark-eyed junco, slate-colored junco.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use junco in a sentence

The nests of all the Juncos are placed on the ground, and the markings of their eggs vary but little.
Western Bird Guide | Chester A. (Chester Albert) Reed, Harry F. Harvey, and Rex I. Brasher
Another day the juncos are feeding on the seeds of the foxtail or pigeon grass, in an old orchard hard by the border of the woods.
Our Bird Comrades | Leander S. (Leander Sylvester) Keyser
The nesting juncos and snow-buntings twittered cheerfully among the busy growths.
Hoof and Claw | Charles G. D. Roberts
Juncos, two species of jays, and woodpeckers were seen daily.
Comparative Ecology of Pinyon Mice and Deer Mice in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado | Charles L. Douglas
Numerous juncos and jays were seen in this area; deer and rabbits also were present.
Comparative Ecology of Pinyon Mice and Deer Mice in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado | Charles L. Douglas

British Dictionary definitions for junco

junco

/ (ˈdʒʌŋkəʊ) /

nounplural -cos or -coes

any North American bunting of the genus Junco, having a greyish plumage with white outer tail feathers

Origin of junco

C18: from Spanish: a rush, a marsh bird, from Latin juncus rush

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

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