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Glite Dictionary
slate-colored junco

slate-colored junco

6.1
A small North American bird with mostly grey feathers and a white belly
  • noun
  • /sleɪtˈkoʊlərd ˈdʒʌŋkoʊ/
  • US
translation icon : junco de color pizarra
  • During the winter, slate-colored juncos often gather in flocks near backyard feeders.

Examples

  • We spotted a slate-colored junco hopping along the snowy path this morning.

  • I spotted a slate-colored junco in my backyard.

  • A slate-colored junco is easy to recognize by its grey feathers and white underparts.

  • Have you ever seen a slate-colored junco?

  • A slate-colored junco is easy to recognize by its grey feathers and white underparts.

  • During the winter, slate-colored juncos often gather in flocks near backyard feeders.

  • We spotted a slate-colored junco hopping along the snowy path this morning.

Synonyms

junco
vsslate-colored junco
  • US
1 8.8

A small North American bird like a sparrow with gray or brown feathers often seen in winter

focuses on a particular grey-plumaged species with dark brown eyes
Junco hyemalis
vsslate-colored junco
  • Specialized
8.3

A small North American sparrow with grey and white feathers and dark eyes

is a broader genus-level description rather than an exact species name
dark-eyed junco
vsslate-colored junco
  • US
7.3

A small North American sparrow with grey feathers and dark eyes

is a genus-level description rather than a common name

Surface Forms

slate-colored junco singular
slate-colored juncos plural
slate-coloured juncos plural
slate-coloured junco singular

Morphology

slate-colored + junco

The phrase is directly compositional: 'slate-colored' describes a gray (slate-like) color and 'junco' names a small finch, so the expression denotes a junco with slate (gray) plumage. This color-adjective + noun descriptive pattern is a common, cross-linguistic construction and would be immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Slate-colored junco is a clear description: slate-colored means the grey of slate rock and junco is a small songbird, so the name means 'small grey bird'.