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Glite Dictionary
blue darter

blue darter

9.9
A blue-grey hawk from North America that flies fast and darts through trees
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : halcón azul
  • The blue darter is admired by birdwatchers for its agile, swift movements through dense forests.

Examples

  • Farmers often see the blue darter swooping low in search of prey.

  • We spotted a blue darter perched quietly on a branch near the stream.

  • The blue darter soared gracefully through the sky.

  • Look at that blue darter chasing its prey!

  • Farmers often see the blue darter swooping low in search of prey.

  • The blue darter is admired by birdwatchers for its agile, swift movements through dense forests.

  • Look at that blue darter chasing its prey!

Synonyms

Cooper's hawk
vsblue darter
  • US
3 7.1

A medium-sized grey North American bird of prey that flies quickly through woods

is the general name without size or habitat detail
Accipiter cooperii
vsblue darter
  • Specialized
9.9

A blue-grey North American hawk that flies fast through trees to catch small birds

is the common everyday name rather than the scientific label

Surface Forms

blue darter singular
blue darters plural

Morphology

blue + darter

The meaning is directly compositional: 'blue' specifies color and 'darter' denotes something that darts, so a learner who knows both words can infer a bluish creature noted for rapid, darting flight (i.e. a bird). This color+trait naming pattern is common for animal names and is cross-linguistically transparent, so the sense should be clear to a B1 learner who knows the constituents.

Etymology

Blue darter comes from the bird's colour and quick flight. Blue refers to its grey-blue feathers and darter comes from how it 'darts', meaning it flies very fast and suddenly through trees, so the name means a small, fast hawk.