titmouse
- noun
- /ˈtɪtˌmaʊs/
- US
- After I finished taking my photographs, I noticed a tufted titmouse watching me from a downed branch.
- tufted titmouse
Examples
-
While a male cardinal offered sunflower seeds to a female perched in a lilac, a titmouse plucked buds from a dogwood and fed his mate.
Fiction book (2000) -
In the garden, the titmouse chirped happily as it searched for insects among the leaves.
-
This is my first image of a Tufted Titmouse.
Academic text (2010) -
Then I saw it, a gray titmouse flying straight through the door, over Mack's outstretched arm and into the kitchen.
Fiction book (1990) -
The titmouse fluttered against the ceiling and squawked at us, fussing.
Fiction book (1990) -
While birdwatching, I spotted a titmouse perched on a branch, its crest clearly visible.
-
During my walk, I was delighted to hear the cheerful song of a titmouse nearby.
Synonyms
A small lively songbird with a short thick beak often seen in gardens
Compounds
A small gray songbird with a crest on its head found in eastern North America
Surface Forms
Etymology
Titmouse comes from old English parts: tit meaning 'small' and an old word mase meaning 'small bird', but people later changed mase to mouse, probably because the bird is tiny and quick like a little mouse. So titmouse simply means a 'small bird', which fits the tiny songbird you see moving through the branches.