robin redbreast
1
4.1
- noun
- UK
:
petirrojo
- In spring, the cheerful song of the robin redbreast can be heard as it searches for a mate.
- robin redbreast and the wren
Examples
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"A robin redbreast in a cage Puts all heaven in a rage"
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"But a lot of robin redbreasts would know who I was if they clapped eyes on me." "Then we've got to get to the bottom of this crime as soon as possible, before your redbreasted friends start flocking to Alderton.
Fiction book (1993) -
"A robin redbreast in a cage"
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The robin redbreast and the wren had done their work well.
Fiction book (1993) -
Call for the robin redbreast and the wren.
Fiction book (1993) -
Call for the robin redbreast and the wren.
Fiction book (1993) -
"A robin redbreast in a cage Puts all heaven in a rage"
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The robin redbreast is often seen hopping around gardens in search of insects.
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Every winter, I enjoy watching the robin redbreast at my bird feeder.
Synonyms
9
1.0
A small bird that sings with a red or orange breast found in Europe and Asia
1
8.1
A small songbird with a red chest, like the European robin
A small bird with a red-orange chest often seen in European gardens
A small European bird with a red breast that sings and lives in gardens and woods
A small bird that sings with a red breast often seen in gardens
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a literal descriptive compound: combining 'robin' with 'redbreast' (i.e. red-breasted) directly yields the small songbird with a reddish breast. This compositional, cross-linguistically common noun+noun descriptive pattern is immediately inferable by a B1 learner who knows the constituents.
Etymology
Robin redbreast comes from people noticing the bird's bright red chest. They called it a robin with a red breast, so today it means 'a small bird with a red chest' often seen in gardens.