Rocky Mountain jay
- noun
- /ˈrɑːki ˈmaʊntən dʒeɪ/
- US
:
arrendajo de las Montañas Rocosas
- The Rocky Mountain jay is known for its boldness around campsites.
Examples
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We spotted a Rocky Mountain jay while hiking near the tree line.
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Several Rocky Mountain jays gathered near the picnic area hoping for scraps.
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Look at that Rocky Mountain jay perched on the branch!
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I spotted a Rocky Mountain jay in the trees.
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Several Rocky Mountain jays gathered near the picnic area hoping for scraps.
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The Rocky Mountain jay is known for its boldness around campsites.
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We spotted a Rocky Mountain jay while hiking near the tree line.
Synonyms
A small jay with a white head that lives in Rocky Mountain forests
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward compositional name: 'rocky' + 'mountain' specifies the geographic habitat and 'jay' names the bird, so a learner who knows the words will infer it is a type of jay found in the Rocky Mountains. This follows normal English modifier+noun naming patterns (and similar constructions exist cross-linguistically), so the meaning is immediately derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Rocky Mountain jay gets its name from where it lives and the kind of bird it is: 'Rocky Mountain' points to the Rocky Mountains and 'jay' is the name for a bold, often chatty forest bird. Because these birds often come to campsites for food and are easy to see, the name helps you remember it as 'the friendly mountain jay'.
