chaffinch

American  

[chaf-inch] / ˈtʃæf ɪntʃ /

noun

1. a common finch, Fringilla coelebs, of the Old World, often kept as a pet.

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chaffinch British  

/ ˈtʃæfɪntʃ /

noun

1. a common European finch, Fringilla coelebs, with black and white wings and, in the male, a reddish body and blue-grey head

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Etymology

Origin of chaffinch

1400–50; late Middle English chaffynche, Old English ceaffinc. See chaff ¹, finch

Example Sentences

In fall 2021, they studied common redstart, chaffinch and dunnock on Helgoland, an island off the German coast along the North Sea that is a popular stopover for birds on the move each autumn.

From Washington Post • Mar. 18, 2023

The group froze at every chirp of a thrush or chaffinch, one hand holding the binoculars, the other a tombstone for balance.

From New York Times • Dec. 28, 2022

"His eyes are bulging like the belly of a hungry chaffinch."

From The Guardian • Aug. 12, 2012

When a chaffinch turned up in New Brunswick, I stayed right here and I felt fine.

From Time Magazine Archive

The chaffinch listens to other chaffinches, and incorporates into his memory snatches of their songs.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas