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Glite Dictionary
New World warbler

New World warbler

8.5
A small brightly colored American songbird with a weak song
  • noun
  • /nuː wɜrld ˈwɔːrbələr/
  • US
translation icon : parulita del Nuevo Mundo
  • Despite its beauty, the New World warbler is known for its weak and unmusical song.

Examples

  • The vibrant plumage of the New World warbler makes it easy to spot among the trees.

  • Many birdwatchers travel to Central America to spot rare New World warblers during migration.

  • The New World warbler is often seen in gardens.

  • Many birdwatchers enjoy spotting the New World warbler.

  • The New World warbler is easily recognized by its bright colors and weak, unmusical song.

  • During spring, many birdwatchers flock to parks to observe the colorful New World warbler as it sings.

  • The New World warbler is often found flitting about in shrubs and trees in its natural habitat.

Synonyms

wood warbler
vsNew World warbler
  • US
1 8.4

A small bright North American bird that sings a weak simple song

adds emphasis on primary occurrence in the Americas

Surface Forms

New World warbler singular
New World warblers plural

Morphology

new + world + warbler

The head noun 'warbler' (a small songbird) is fully transparent, and the phrase structure signals a regional subtype. However, 'New World' is a conventional toponym meaning 'the Americas' that a B1 learner who only knows 'new' and 'world' may not reliably infer from the literal words. Because the sense is partly compositional (a regional kind of warbler) but depends on knowledge of the fixed geographic term, the expression is best classified as semi-transparent.

Etymology

New World warbler comes from two simple ideas: New World was the name Europeans used for the Americas, and warbler is the word for a bird that 'sings'. So the name points to small, often brightly colored songbirds from the Americas.