Old World flycatcher
- noun
- UK
:
mosquitero del Viejo Mundo
- The spotted Old World flycatcher perched quietly on a branch, scanning for insects to catch mid-air.
Examples
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Unlike the New World species, the Old World flycatcher builds its nest in tree holes.
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The Old World flycatcher is known for its beautiful song.
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Many Old World flycatchers migrate long distances each year between Africa and Europe.
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Many Old World flycatchers migrate during the winter.
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The Old World flycatcher quickly swooped down to catch an insect mid-flight.
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While birdwatching in the park, I spotted an Old World flycatcher perched on a branch.
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The vibrant colors of the Old World flycatcher made it stand out against the green leaves.
Synonyms
2
7.0
A small bird that catches insects in the air
A small bird that catches insects while flying
A family of small insect-eating birds mainly in Europe, Asia and Africa
A group of small birds from Europe, Asia, and Africa that catch insects in the air
Surface Forms
Morphology
old + world + flycatcher
The noun 'flycatcher' is compositional and clearly indicates a bird that catches flying insects, so that part is transparent. However, 'Old World' is a conventional regional label (Old World = Europe/Asia/Africa) that is not directly inferable from knowing 'old' and 'world' alone for a B1 learner, so the full expression is only partly predictable.
Etymology
Old World flycatcher comes from two simple pictures: Old World means the old continents Europe, Asia and Africa, and flycatcher is a small bird that catches insects in the air. So the name means 'a small insect-eating bird from Europe, Asia, or Africa'.