rock wren
- noun
- /rɑk rɛn/
- US
:
wren de roca
- We spotted a rock wren building its nest in a crevice during our hike.
Examples
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Unlike other birds, the rock wren prefers to sing from exposed rocky outcrops.
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The rock wren is often seen flitting among the boulders in the desert.
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The rock wren sings beautifully at dawn.
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I spotted a rock wren near the cliffs.
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The rock wren can often be heard calling from the rocky cliffs in the canyon.
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During our hike, we spotted a rock wren darting between the stones.
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With its unique song, the rock wren added a beautiful melody to the quiet wilderness.
Synonyms
5
2.2
A small active brown bird that sings and lives near gardens
A small brown bird that nests in cracks between rocks in dry open places
A small brown bird called the rock wren that lives on rocky places in North and Central America
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound combines 'rock' (a rocky habitat) with 'wren' (a small songbird), so a learner who knows both words can readily infer it denotes a type of wren associated with rocks. This follows common English noun-noun compounding for animal names (e.g., rock dove) and is cross-linguistically familiar, making the meaning transparent to B1 learners.
Etymology
The name rock wren comes from the bird's usual home: rock because it lives among stones and cliffs, and wren because it is a 'small songbird'. So the name explains that it is a small bird that lives in rocky places.