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Glite Dictionary
hawfinch

hawfinch

1 9.7
A large brown bird with a very strong beak that cracks hard seeds
  • noun
  • /ˈhɔːfɪnʧ/
  • UK
: pájaro moscón
  • We spotted a brightly colored hawfinch perched in the old apple tree.

Examples

  • Look, there's a hawfinch on that branch!

  • I spotted a hawfinch in the garden.

  • In spring, you may see a hawfinch feeding on cherry stones in woodland areas.

  • The hawfinch is famous for its massive beak, designed to crack open hard seeds.

  • The hawfinch has a strong beak that helps it crack open tough seeds.

  • We spotted a hawfinch in the garden, feasting on sunflower seeds.

  • During winter, the hawfinch can often be seen searching for food among the trees.

Synonyms

Coccothraustes coccothraustes
vshawfinch
  • Specialized
9.9

A large finch bird from Europe and Asia with a very strong beak for cracking seeds

is the common English name rather than the Latin name

Surface Forms

hawfinch singular
hawfinches plural

Morphology

hawfinch = haw + finch (semi-transparent) = haw + finch

A regular compound 'haw' (hawthorn berry) + 'finch' yields a finch associated with haws, but 'haw' is an uncommon word so the composition may not be obvious to learners.

Etymology

Hawfinch is made from the parts haw and finch. haw means the small red fruit of the hawthorn, called 'haws', and finch is a small songbird. So the hawfinch is a finch named for eating haws, and its very strong bill helps it crack hard seeds.