whitethroat

American  

[hwahyt-throht, wahyt-] / ˈʰwaɪtˌθroʊt, ˈwaɪt- /

noun

1. any of several small songbirds having a throat that is white, especially an Old World warbler, Sylvia communis.

2. white-throated sparrow.

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whitethroat British  

/ ˈwaɪtˌθrəʊt /

noun

1. either of two Old World warblers, Sylvia communis or S. curruca ( lesser whitethroat ), having a greyish-brown plumage with a white throat and underparts

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Etymology

Origin of whitethroat

First recorded in 1670–80; white + throat

Example Sentences

The whitethroat was sending out his "silver arrows of song" clearly and pensively from the depths of the velvet dusk.

From The Silver Maple by MacGregor, Mary Esther Miller

O! at his bidding the whitethroat swings In thrillant blue.

From The Dales of Arcady by Ratcliffe, Dorothy Una

A Canada whitethroat called sweetly, sadly, from the forest in the sunset glow.

From The Little Red Foot by Chambers, Robert W. (Robert William)

The whitethroat sings with crest erect, and attitudes of warning and defiance.

From Locusts and Wild Honey by Burroughs, John

Country boys set some value on the eggs of the nettle-creeper or whitethroat because the nest is difficult to find, and the eggs curiously marked.

From Field and Hedgerow Being the Last Essays of Richard Jefferies by Jefferies, Richard