sparrow

[ spar-oh ]

noun

1. any of numerous American finches of the family Emberizinae. Compare chipping sparrow, song sparrow.
2. any member of the Old World genus Passer, formerly thought to be closely related to the weaverbirds but now placed in their own family, Passeridae.
3. British. the house sparrow.
4. any of several other unrelated small birds. Compare Java sparrow, hedge sparrow.
5. Sparrow, Military. a 12-foot (4-meter), all-weather, radar-guided U.S. air-to-air missile with an 88-pound (40-kilogram) high-explosive warhead.

sparrow

/ ˈspærəʊ /

noun

1. any weaverbird of the genus Passer and related genera, esp the house sparrow, having a brown or grey plumage and feeding on seeds or insects
2. any of various North American finches, such as the chipping sparrow ( Spizella passerina ), that have a dullish streaked plumage

Derived Forms

• ˈsparrow-ˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• sparrow·less adjective
• sparrow·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sparrow¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English sparowe, Old English spearwa; cognate with Gothic sparwa, Old Norse spǫrr

Word History and Origins

Origin of sparrow¹

Old English spearwa; related to Old Norse spörr, Old High German sparo

Example Sentences

“Urban birds” associated with humans, such as pigeons, European starlings and house sparrows, will likely continue to survive.

From Los Angeles Times

Fish and Wildlife Service celebrated delisting the San Clemente Bell’s sparrow and four plant species — the largest group delisting from population recovery in the 50-year history of the Endangered Species Act.

From Los Angeles Times

It is a backyard visited by darting sparrows and dignified blue jays lingering in the skeletal tree branches of spring.

From Salon

For her, it was the common house sparrow, which she would observe before heading to her job teaching journalism at Loyola University New Orleans when it reopened in January 2006, five months after Katrina.

From Los Angeles Times

"After chasing dozens of them, the real winners were from birds," Collins said, including the zebra finch and the white-throated sparrow.

From Science Daily