linnet

[ lin-it ]

noun

1. a small Old World finch, Carduelis cannabina.
2. any of various related birds, as the house finch.

linnet

/ ˈlɪnɪt /

noun

1. a brownish Old World finch, Acanthis cannabina : the male has a red breast and forehead
2. Also calledhouse finch a similar and related North American bird, Carpodacus mexicanus

Word History and Origins

Origin of linnet¹

1520–30; earlier linet < Middle French (Walloon, Picard ) linette ( French linot, linotte ), derivative of lin flax ( line ¹; so named for its diet of flaxseeds); -et

Word History and Origins

Origin of linnet¹

C16: from Old French linotte, ultimately from Latin līnum flax (because the bird feeds on flaxseeds)

Example Sentences

While Gal Gadot's character Linnet Ridgeway-Doyle may have enough champagne to fill the Nile in the film, it seems dubious that the whodunit could sell enough tickets to fill the $90 million hole left by its production budget.

From Reuters

In another ambivalent characterization, the newlywed Linnet Ridgeway, who in the book trod a fine line between sympathetic and spoiled, now ricochets between heroine and villainess.

From Los Angeles Times

The former comedy duo Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French reunite as Linnet’s socialite godmother and companion.

From New York Times

Linnet Doyle, an enviably rich socialite taking a honeymoon cruise down the Nile River, has just been found shot to death in her stateroom; her husband, Simon, is an inconsolable wreck, sobbing noisily over her body.

From Los Angeles Times

Within weeks, Linnet and Simon are having a destination wedding in Egypt, where Poirot is a last-minute guest and a furious, vengeful Jacqueline stalks the happy couple at every turn.

From Los Angeles Times