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

In the field, the Yankees also could try to stress Freeman in a way the Padres and New York Mets didn’t, by bunting to him and forcing him to be more involved defensively.

From Los Angeles Times

"There's no flags to be got, there's no bunting anywhere you're going to look for merchandise is sold out so that tells it's own story."

From BBC

That means bunting when the situation calls for it.

From Los Angeles Times

It might have begun with Youtube user Quincey11, external and his mates in front of the fruit machine and bar bunting of their local.

From BBC

Among the other types of birds were also soras, indigo buntings and wood thrushes.

From New York Times

Related Words

• streamer