sparrow
[ spar-oh ]
/ ˈspær oʊ /
noun
any of numerous American finches of the family Emberizinae.
Compare chipping sparrow, song sparrow.
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.
British.
the house sparrow.
any of several other unrelated small birds.
Compare Java sparrow, hedge sparrow.
(initial capital letter) Military.
a 12-foot (4-meter), all-weather, radar-guided U.S. air-to-air missile with an 88-pound (40-kg) high-explosive warhead.
Origin of sparrow
before 900; Middle English
sparowe, Old English
spearwa; cognate with Gothic
sparwa, Old Norse
spǫrr
OTHER WORDS FROM sparrow
spar·row·less, adjective spar·row·like, adjectiveWords nearby sparrow
sparks,
sparky,
sparling,
sparoid,
sparring partner,
sparrow,
sparrow hawk,
sparrowfart,
sparrowgrass,
sparrowhawk,
sparry
Example sentences from the Web for sparrow
British Dictionary definitions for sparrow
sparrow
/ (ˈspærəʊ) /
noun
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
US and Canadian
any of various North American finches, such as the chipping sparrow (Spizella passerina), that have a dullish streaked plumage
Other words from sparrow
Related adjective: passerineDerived forms of sparrow
sparrow-like, adjectiveWord Origin for sparrow
Old English
spearwa; related to Old Norse
spörr, Old High German
sparo