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Glite Dictionary
family Trochilidae

family Trochilidae

8.9
A group of small bright birds that hover and feed from flowers in the Americas
  • noun
  • /ˈfæmɪli trɒkɪˈliːdeɪ/
  • Specialized
: familia Trochilidae
  • The family Trochilidae includes over 300 species of hummingbirds across the Americas.

Examples

  • The vibrant plumage of birds in the family Trochilidae makes them popular with wildlife observers.

  • Scientists have studied the rapid wing movements unique to the family Trochilidae.

  • The family Trochilidae includes many colorful species.

  • Did you know that the family Trochilidae consists of over 300 species?

  • The family Trochilidae includes over 300 species of hummingbirds across the Americas.

  • The vibrant plumage of birds in the family Trochilidae makes them popular with wildlife observers.

  • Scientists have studied the rapid wing movements unique to the family Trochilidae.

Synonyms

Trochilidae
vsfamily Trochilidae
  • Specialized
9.9

Small bright birds called hummingbirds that hover and feed on nectar

is the full taxonomic phrase that explicitly states the group's family status

Surface Forms

family Trochilidae singular
families Trochilidae plural

Morphology

family + Trochilidae

This is a transparent taxonomic label: the meaning is directly compositional from 'family' (a scientific grouping) and 'Trochilidae' (the family name), so it denotes the taxonomic family called Trochilidae (hummingbirds). Such naming conventions are regular and cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

The name family Trochilidae may come from the old Greek word Trochilus for a small, fast bird and the ending -idae, which marks a 'family' or group of animals. So the name points to the tiny, quick 'hummingbirds' that belong to that group.