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Glite Dictionary
evening grosbeak

evening grosbeak

9.7
A North American bird with a thick cone-shaped bill and bright yellow, black and white feathers
  • noun
  • /ˈiːv.nɪŋ ˈɡroʊz.biːk/
  • US
translation icon : grosbeak de la tarde
  • The evening grosbeak is easily recognized by its striking yellow and black coloration.

Examples

  • A flock of evening grosbeaks visited our backyard feeder this winter.

  • Birdwatchers often hope to spot an evening grosbeak among the trees during migration season.

  • I spotted an evening grosbeak in my backyard yesterday.

  • The evening grosbeaks are beautiful birds to observe.

  • The evening grosbeak is easily recognized by its bright yellow and black plumage.

  • During winter, evening grosbeaks often visit bird feeders in search of seeds.

  • Birdwatchers are excited when they spot an evening grosbeak in their backyard.

Synonyms

Hesperiphona vespertina
vsevening grosbeak
  • Specialized
9.9

A North American bird with a thick bill and bright yellow, black, and white feathers

is the common name form used instead of the scientific name

Surface Forms

evening grosbeak singular
evening grosbeaks plural

Morphology

evening + grosbeak

The phrase names a subtype of bird formed by a clear noun+noun composition: 'evening' (time of day) + 'grosbeak' (a finch with a large bill), so the meaning is a grosbeak associated with the evening. This straightforward taxonomic/attributive pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's basic meaning.

Etymology

The name evening grosbeak comes from two simple images: grosbeak means 'big beak', because the bird has a thick, strong bill, and evening comes from people often hearing it sing or seeing it at feeders in the evening. So the name helps you remember a bird with a 'large beak' that is often active or noisy in the 'evening'.