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Glite Dictionary
cedar waxwing

cedar waxwing

8.3
A North American bird with brown feathers, a crest, a black eye mask, and red wing tips that eats berries
  • noun
  • /ˈsiːdər ˈwækswɪŋ/
  • US
translation icon : ceraunita
  • During the summer, we often see flocks of cedar waxwings feeding on berries in the garden.

Examples

  • The cedar waxwing is easily recognized by its sleek brown plumage and distinctive black eye mask.

  • PHOTO (COLOR): Cedar waxwings eat mostly fruit year-round.

    Academic text (1993)

  • A group of cedar waxwings perched on the branches, eagerly devouring the ripe cherries.

Synonyms

waxwing
vscedar waxwing
1 8.5

A bird that has soft brown feathers, a crest, and red waxy tips on its wings

is narrower meaning the single North American species rather than the whole group
cedarbird
vscedar waxwing
  • US
9.3

A small North American bird with raised feathers on its head and a yellow tipped tail

has red waxy tips on some wing feathers rather than yellow tail tips

Surface Forms

cedar waxwing singular
cedar waxwings plural

Morphology

cedar + waxwing

The noun–noun compound is directly compositional: 'cedar' specifies the type or association of the 'waxwing' (a waxwing that is associated with cedar trees/berries). This follows a common modifier + head pattern in English, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Cedar waxwing gets its name from two clear images: cedar because the bird often eats berries from cedar trees, and waxwing because it has little red tips on its wing feathers that look like drops of red wax. So the name helps you picture the bird that eats cedar berries and has waxy-looking wing tips.