bobolink

[ bob-uh-lingk ]

noun

1. a common North American songbird, Dolichonyx oryzivorus, that winters in South America.

bobolink

/ ˈbɒbəˌlɪŋk /

noun

1. an American songbird, Dolichonyx oryzivorus , the male of which has a white back and black underparts in the breeding season: family Icteridae (American orioles) Also called (US)reedbirdricebird

Word History and Origins

Origin of bobolink¹

1765–75, Americanism; short for Bob o' Lincoln, the bird's call as heard by speakers of English

Word History and Origins

Origin of bobolink¹

C18: of imitative origin

Example Sentences

Others still have functionally random names, like the onomatopoeic Bobolink and Veery, or Osprey, which is derived from the Old French word ospreit, itself coming from a Latin word meaning “bird of prey.”

From Slate

And the bobolink, known for its robust songs and long-distance travels to South America.

From Seattle Times

And the bobolink, known for its robust songs and long-distance travels to South America.

From Seattle Times

WRAL-TV reports that Halifax County deputies were called to Bobolink Trail in Hollister at about 11:30 p.m.

From Washington Times

Combined waterfowl populations have increased by 37 million in the Prairie Pothole Region since 1990, even as forest birds like the Kentucky warbler and grassland birds like the bobolink have been in prolonged decline.

From Slate