bank martin
- noun
- UK
:
martinete
- The bank martin digs burrows in river banks to build its nest.
Examples
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During spring migration, the bank martin returns to its nesting sites along sandy cliffs.
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Flocks of bank martins can often be seen skimming over lakes and ponds.
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Look at that bank martin!
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I spotted a bank martin near the riverbank.
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During spring migration, the bank martin returns to its nesting sites along sandy cliffs.
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The bank martin digs burrows in river banks to build its nest.
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Flocks of bank martins can often be seen skimming over lakes and ponds.
Synonyms
1
6.1
A small bird like a swallow with long pointed wings and a slightly forked tail
A small bird that migrates and nests in tunnels dug into clay or sand banks
A small swallow that nests in tunnels in sand or clay river banks
A small swallow that migrates, nests in holes in sandy riverbanks and eats insects
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning — a martin (swallow) associated with or nesting in banks — is directly derivable from combining 'bank' (embankment) with 'martin' (a type of swallow). This compositional habitat+species naming pattern is common in English (and across languages), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Bank martin is named for where it lives: bank means the sandy or clay river 'bank' and martin is a small swallow. Imagine a little swallow digging a hole in the bank to make a 'nest' — that picture explains why the name means a small swallow that nests in holes in banks.