bunting

¹

[ buhn-ting ]

noun

1. a coarse, open fabric of worsted or cotton for flags, signals, etc.
2. patriotic and festive decorations made from such cloth, or from paper, usually in the form of draperies, wide streamers, etc., in the colors of the national flag.
3. flags, especially a vessel's flags, collectively.

bunting

²

[ buhn-ting ]

noun

1. any of several small, chiefly seed-eating birds of the genera Emberiza, Passerina, and Plectrophenax.

bunting

³

[ buhn-ting ]

noun

1. a hooded sleeping garment for infants.

Bunting

¹

/ ˈbʌntɪŋ /

noun

1. BuntingBasil19001985MBritishWRITING: poet Basil . 1900–85, British poet, author of Briggflatts (1966)

bunting

²

/ ˈbʌntɪŋ /

noun

1. any of numerous seed-eating songbirds of the families Fringillidae (finches, etc) or Emberizidae , esp those of the genera Emberiza of the Old World and Passerina of North America. They all have short stout bills

bunting

³

/ ˈbʌntɪŋ /

noun

1. a coarse, loosely woven cotton fabric used for flags, etc
2. decorative flags, pennants, and streamers
3. flags collectively, esp those of a boat

Word History and Origins

Origin of bunting¹

First recorded in 1735–45; origin uncertain; perhaps originally “cloth for sifting,” hence the verb bunt “to sift,” from Middle English bonten + -ing ¹

Origin of bunting²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English bunting, bounting, buntyle; further origin unknown

Origin of bunting³

First recorded in 1920–25; special use of bunting ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of bunting¹

C13: of unknown origin

Origin of bunting²

C18: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

There were three stories’ worth of alcoves with red bunting and signs proclaiming each display’s country of origin, spread out over 92,000 square meters of gleaming glass enclosures—the Crystal Palace, as one satirical magazine dubbed it.

From MIT Technology Review

Songbirds like cardinals and buntings secure spots in dense foliage, while woodpeckers hang on to the downwind side of tree trunks or take cover inside cavities.

From Ozy

Even bunting has become harder for a pitcher in recent years.

From Washington Post

As the bunting populations began to drop, the government outlawed hunting them.

From Science News For Students

One study of yellow-breasted buntings in China found that this once-abundant species is rapidly disappearing.

From Science News For Students

She was even sweet to that smug ingrate Miss Bunting after she kept insulting everyone at dinner.

From The Daily Beast

Black and purple bunting went up over the doorway at the 84th Precinct stationhouse where Ramos and Liu had been assigned.

From The Daily Beast

The big placard advertising the show was now trimmed with red-white-and-blue bunting: ANIMALS IN SPACE!

From The Daily Beast

Or at least, we wouldn't celebrate it with two weeks of bunting.

From The Daily Beast

Shops are covered in Union Jacks, bunting has sold out, and everyone loves an excuse to bake patriotic cookies.

From The Daily Beast

Every rag of bunting, from the tiny streamer of the fishing-boat to the great flag of ships of war, droops against the mast.

From Project Gutenberg

He would let Bunting travel light to the Rio Seco, and then load him for her as no burro ever was loaded to cross the border!

From Project Gutenberg

But Chappo waved him onward, for the wagon and the pack mules, and even little gray Bunting had turned reluctant feet north.

From Project Gutenberg

It isn't just colors and bunting—The red and the blue and the white.

From Project Gutenberg

As he walked along he noticed that the street was gay with bunting.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• streamer